His Wolfish Smile
by katie33h
Summary: Kouga finally meets his mate, but can they overcome their differences? What will Sesshomaru think about the pair?KougaxgrownRin
1. Not a normal human

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story.

Chapter 1: Not a normal human.

Koga ran through the forest alone looking for game to feed his tribe. He enjoyed hunting alone, it gave him time to think and get away from the din of all the cubs in his tribe. He slowed down to a stroll at the relaxing sound of forest birds and the nearby stream.

The scent of a dragon nearby caught his attention. He cautiously peered through the trees to find a young woman crouching behind a deteriorating log. She was tan and had long brown hair. She was beautiful and untamed. She had no shoes on and was wearing a kimono that was secured up above her knees baring her long tan legs. She was hiding and looked scared as she peeped around the log.

The two headed dragon came barreling toward her, it looked like it was poised to attack. Koga took this as an opportunity to save the beautiful maiden and possibly gain her admiration. He leapt from his hiding place and kicked the dragon in one head forcing it into the other and knocking the dragon onto its side.

Koga placed his hands on his hips and a foot over the dragon's head to hold him down. He was proud; he stuck his chest out and lifted his head in a most heroic fashion. Before he had a chance to tell the girl she was safe, she ran from her hiding place and headed right to him.

He thought she was going to hug him or hurl herself into his arms, but instead she pushed him with all her might forcing his foot off of the dragons head. She mumbled something to the dragon before kissing its face where Koga had kicked it and helped push the dragon to its feet. The dragon growled fiercely and breathed a heavy amount of fire, that Koga just barely escaped.

Koga looked on dumbstruck as the girl stepped between him and the dragon. She placed her hands on her hips and with an angry scowl on her face began yelling at Koga jabbing his chest with her finger as she spoke. "What is wrong with you?!? Why did you kick him like that? He didn't do anything to you did he? NO! And then you have the nerve to look all proud of yourself! What is your problem, REALLY!?!?!?!"

If Koga hadn't been in sock by the girls anger he would have cut off her tirade but her let her finish impressed by how she was yelling at a demon. "I was saving you, that _thing_ was going to eat you!"

"He is not a _thing_! He has a name! He is a dragon and he is my friend, apologize to him for being such a …. Such a …. Such a…… JERK!"

The girl was fuming now which Koga found very amusing. He threw his hands in the air as a sign of defeat and tried to hold back his laughter at the girl who obviously had no idea she was a yelling at a demon. "You were hiding behind that log, I thought the dragon who has a name was going to attack you, I just wanted to help. Why were you hiding from your dragon friend, who has a name, behind a log?" He tried desperately not to chuckle but couldn't help it.

Now she looked horribly offended by his obvious mocking, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her feet for a moment. "We were playing hide and seek." She blushed a little at the admission of her childish game.

"You were playing hide and seek, with a dragon, who has a name, and is your friend?" Koga shook his head as a wolfish smile washed over his face. He leaned in a little closer to, the girl who looked shocked by his actions, but held her ground. "You smell human. But no ones ever heard of a human playing hide and seek with dragons. Your not a normal human." he smelt an ox nearby and turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Oh, game time…. Gotta go!" he grabbed the girls hand and planted a firm kiss on the back of it before running after his prey.


	2. The Lady of the Western Lands

AN: Sorry I spelt Kouga's name wrong in the first chapter… ill fix it .. spell check prefers Koga.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters.

Chapter 2: The Lady of the Western Lands

"I'm sorry Ah-Un, that guy was a jerk. If Lord Sesshomaru was here he would have thumped him good for treating you like that." Lord Sesshomaru had told her not to dote over the dragon, but he was upset.

Rin climbed on the dragon's back and led him back to the castle that they called home. "Can you believe he said I'm not a normal human? Jerk!"

Ah-Uh grunted in agreement.

The whole way back to the castle Rin complained about how she was a perfectly normal human. Just because she spent her life with a demon lord, an imp told her fair tales and played hide and seek with a dragon, she was no less normal. The dragon just grunted and shook his heads. She was in no way a normal human.

Rin stopped the dragon just outside of the protective gates around the castle; she dug through a bush to retrieve her shoes. She put them on and untied the bit of twine that held her kimono above her knees. She squared herself off and made sure she was presentable before entering the castle gates.

The castle was pretty much empty except a few servants and guards. Rin knew each of them by name and greeted them all as they passed. The castle was large but wasn't posh. Only the bare essentials of living were present, and most things were only there for Rin's sake. Sesshomaru only had things that were useful; he did not care for things that were just for decoration. He did have some art and pottery around, all of which held some kind of meaning or demonic power. The only other things that hung on the wall, which might pass for decoration, were weapons.

Rin's room was no different, just the bare essentials. In her admiration for Lord Sesshomaru she had taken on some of his qualities. The only thing in the castle that was truly beautiful was the garden that Rin planted and tended. The garden was an extension of her room; most nights she slept in the garden and on nights when it was too cold or raining she slept with the doors leading into the garden open.

Rin let out a long sigh and dropped herself on the floor. Lord Sesshomaru had only been gone for a few days, but she missed him horribly and knew he wouldn't be back for long time. To make matters worse he took Jaken with him, leaving Rin truly alone. Sesshomaru had begun leaving Rin alone about a year ago. He trusted her to take care of any matters of state that did not demand his personal attention; which most were. Rin didn't mind, but she missed being able to spend her time with Kagome and Inuyasha when Sesshomaru was gone. She even missed Jaken.

Lord Sesshomaru had left her a messenger bird to keep him informed on 'important matters of state'; that was what he said, but she knew he appreciated hearing word from her no matter what it was about. She jotted a quick greeting and an 'all is well' on a piece of paper. 'Give Master Jaken a hug for me' she added with a giggle. She knew Lord Sesshomaru would find it amusing, Jaken might not. She folded the note and tied it to the neck of the demon bird. She gave the bird a quick kiss on the head and wished him luck before releasing him out the window.

_Your not a normal human_, the words had hurt her whether he had intended them to or not. Rin wasn't a normal human. She looked herself over in the mirror, wiping the dirt off of her face and running her fingers along the outline of her cheeks, lips, and then jaw. She pulled her kimono up to inspect the tiny scars on her knees and legs from various climbing and running accidents.

The other woman she had met, with the exception of Kagome and Sango, were dainty and had smooth pale skin. They all wore heavy kimonos with multiple layers, and sandals that made them look taller. They wore paint on their faces to make their lips red and their faces paler than they already were. Common women did less in terms of appearance than the noble women, but they still did more than Rin on a normal day.

Rin had all the face paint, fine kimonos and sandals; she had to wear them for social events, since she was considered to be of noble status. She was considered Lord Sesshomaru's only heir and had the responsibility to maintain the image that came along with her social status. She despised the social events.

"_A little rough around the edges, but what do you expect from the child who is being raised by a man, and a demon at that." _That's what villagers and nobles said about her as a child. She never had shoes on and her hair was always a little messy. Her hands and knees were always dirty from playing in the soil, picking flowers, naturally.

"_Awkward, a tomboy, its just not proper."_ That's what they said about her when she entered her teen years. Lord Sesshomaru taught Rin to fight as soon as she was tall enough to properly hold a sword. At the same time he taught her to read and right and educated her in all matters of state. She was taught how to dress and act as a noble woman. She was taught how to play the role of 'The Lady of the Western Lands'.

"_Refined, Beautiful."_ That's what they said now. As an adult she was better at playing her role in public. She mimicked Lord Sesshomaru's demeanor in public. She only spoke when she had something to say and only acted after great calculation.

If anyone saw her away from the eyes of the nobles they would have a very different opinion of her. She was still the smiling little girl she had always been. She still never wore shoes unless she had to, and wore the lightest kimonos possible so she could run and climb. She spent most of her time outdoors, either in her garden or in the woods.

At the thought of being outdoors Rin smiled to herself in the mirror. She ran her finger along the round tops of her ears. She smiled wide, baring her teeth, and ran her tongue across the flat tops. Her smile dissipated as she went through the process of self discovery.

Since the day Rin was confronted with the greatness that was 'Lord Sesshomaru' she had wished she was a demon too. Although she felt safe with him, she also felt weak. No matter how well she learned to fight, he beat her with no effort. And that's the way it would always be since she was a weak human.

Rin gave up and opened the doors to her garden and headed out among the flowers. She stayed in her garden as the sun went down and finally fell asleep there. _Not a normal human_ she thought to herself as she drifted off.


	3. Woo Me

Disclaimer I don't own Inuyasha or the characters.

Chapter 3: Woo me!

It was easy enough for Kouga to pick up the scent of the woman he had met the day before. She smelt different from most humans, she smelt like earth, water, wildflowers, and had an underlying stench of dog-demon.

Kouga found her standing on a bolder looking into a wide stream. He had to cup his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of her. She was wearing a pair of high wooden sandals, she had her kimono tied with twine again above her knees, the way she had the day before. At the moment she was fussing with her hair, pulling it up and about in all kind of directions. She had a few colorful flowers carefully placed in her beautiful locks, and would reposition them every time she would adjust her hair.

He quietly stalked up behind her, he didn't really have to be too quiet, she was so distracted in her own reflection she wouldn't have herd him anyway. He was a little surprised that he was able to get so close to her without her noticing, he stood inches away from her. She was humming quietly to herself and obviously had her eyes closed or she would have seen him in her reflection.

"Whatareyoudoing?" he questioned all in one breath.

She let out a shrill scream and wobbled on her sandals. Her ankle twisted forcing her to lose her grip on the bolder she was perched on. She slipped and fell head first toward the stream.

Kouga jumped from the bolder after her and caught her just before she hit the water. He landed on the opposite side of the stream holding her bridal style in his arms. Her fists were clinched over her face and her eyes were closed tight.

It took a moment for Rin to realize that she hadn't landed in the water and that she was now in the offending demons arms. She wiggled in an attempt to free herself but he held on tight laughing at her attempts.

_Cute and feisty_ Kouga thought to himself. He was too busy laughing to see the girl had freed her right hand. In a swift and strong upward motion she firmly planted the base of her palm on his nose. The force of the hit would have broken his nose; if he had been human, in this case it just hurt a lot.

"OW! Kami, you have a shitty way of thanking people!" Kouga complained as he put his hand over his nose and placed the girl on her feet.

As her feet hit the ground her ankle buckled under her weight and she fell to the ground. She whipped the sandals off of her feet and flung them at Koug's chest. She grabbed her ankle and forced the tears back that the pain in her ankle was causing. "You pushed me, Jerk!" When she yelled she was no longer able to choke back her tears and began to cry.

At the sight of her tears Kouga's expression softened. He leaned down and grabbed the girl's ankle to inspect it. She pulled it away, he couldn't blame her, he would have done the same thing. "I didn't push you, I startled you. It's not my fault you were too busy to hear me coming up behind you. I'm sorry, ok. Here let me just look at it." He grabbed her ankle again and this time she let him take it. "And my name is Kouga not jerk."

"I'll start calling you Kouga when you stop acting like a jerk." Rin laughed a little as she stopped crying. It hurt really badly, but she had always been told that crying made her look weak; so she tried to stop and force a smile.

"It's pretty bad, here." Kouga stood up and extended a hand to her, she hesitantly took it and he led her back to the stream supporting her weight. He sat her down on a rock that was just a tall enough that her feet would be able to reach the stream. "Put it in the water, it's cold and will keep it from swelling."

Rin knew that the water would help, so she did as he asked. The water was freezing, but she slowly slipped her foot in the water up to the ankle. She bit her lower lip and winced as the cold water stung her tender skin.

Kouga watched her as she winced at the cold water. He sat down next to her and joined her, placing his feet in the water.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked. She was questioning the fact that he was mimicking her in an attempt to show pity; she knew that he was a demon so he the water wasn't nearly as cold to him as it was to her.

"I just want my future mate to be comfortable." He didn't need to look at her to see her reaction to his declaration that she was his mate. A mischievous smile washed over his face.

He finally looked at her when she erupted in the most pleasant laughter he had ever heard. She was beyond beautiful when she smiled. Even though she was laughing at him, it was worth it to see her smile and hear her laugh.

It took Rin awhile to control her laughter enough to speak. "You push me in a river, break my ankle, and kick my dragon, then you think id mate with you?" upon hearing the statement and list of offences verbalized she resumed her laughter.

"I didn't push you, it aint broke, and … Hey where is your dragon friend who has a name?"

Rin looked around becoming painfully aware that the dragon really was nowhere to be found. He must have left while she was playing with her hair and the flowers. "The left one is Ah and the right is Un. And I he is probably off eating something."

"Or someone!" Kouga suggested.

"Ah-Un doesn't eat humans; he said they are 'gamey'. He prefers pushy brown demon jerks."

Kouga threw his head back and caught it with his hands, laughing.

"Why did you sneak up on me and push me anyway?" Rin asked once she stopped laughing.

"Oi! I didn't push you, it was those ridiculous shoes you were wearing. I smelled you out and came to find you to claim you as my mate." Kouga made his statement with such pride.

"Well even though I'm not a normal human, I am human, and we don't just 'mate' with the first guy who comes along with a nice smile. We need to be wooed." Rin felt the blood rush to her cheeks and looked away immediately.

All she wanted at that moment was for the conversation to end so she found the first out she could. "What do I smell like?" she asked coyly. She knew what she smelled like, Lord Sesshomaru had told her years ago _"Water, earth and wild flowers." _That was what he had told her.

Kouga sniffed the air around her for good measure, "dog… demon dog."

Rin looked horrified and frantically began sniffing herself. Kouga started laughing again at the girls actions. "What are you doing? You can't smell it, your human!"

Rin felt the blood rush to her cheeks once again. She knew that he was smelling Lord Sesshomaru. Lord Sesshomaru had told her not to tell anyone who she was, especially demons. Her status and her relationship with the demon lord made her a target to demons and humans seeking power. In her attempt to change an uncomfortable subject she had opened a whole new box of worms.

Rin frantically sought to change the subject again. "My name is Rin!" _that's it! That's the best you could do_ she chastised her brain for its lack of a good retort.

Kouga could sense her discomfort so he let the dog subject drop. The smell was familiar, as was her name, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. "How's your ankle, Rin?"

"OH!" Rin quickly pulled her foot out of the water. His question made her aware that her foot was numb from the cold of the water, and if she left it in any longer she could get frostbite. "I think its ok." Rin tried to stand up, but it still hurt to put weight on it.

She wobbled a little before Kouga stood up and put an arm securely around her waist, hooking her arm over his shoulder. She let him carry her weight and hopped over to her shoes.

Kouga looked around curiously, "Where do you live, there are no villages anywhere near here?"

"Oh… uh…. I ….. uh…." Rin desperately searched for an answer, she couldn't just say that she lived in the castle on the mountain.

"I just want to take you home, it's the least I can do for my future mate after I pushed her in a river and broke her ankle."

"Oh no! Ah-Un will take me home, its ok."

"Well, where is he?"

Rin put her index fingers in her mouth and blew out a shrill, loud, whistle. Kouga flinched at the pitch and volume of the sound; it was unbelievably painful to his sensitive ears. Her whistle was answered by a distant growl, a few minutes later the dragon joined them.

Kouga lifted Rin onto the dragon's back and handed her the shoes. In one quick motion he grabbed both of her hands and kissed them firmly. "It was nice seeing you again Rin, I'll see you tomorrow." And in another blur of motion he smacked Ah-Un on the rear before disappearing into the forest.


	4. Whats a woo?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, I did buy one of the movies tho, hey that's a big step!

Chapter 4: What's a _woo?_

At the first sight or morning Kouga headed out in search of the only person who could help him. The village wasn't far, maybe an hour away at his pace. He ran the entire way there.

"Hey Kagome! Long time no see." Kouga in his usual fashion grabbed the miko's hands and looked deep into her beautiful brown eyes. He never thought he really had a chance with Kagome; he just hit on her to annoy Inuyasha. This time was no different.

"Uh-huh hi Kouga, what brings you here?"

He loved how she got all flustered when he would grab her hands like that. "Oi, What's with you and Dog-Shit, another one huh?" he could smell that she was pregnant before he even entered the village. "What's this like 5, you two should slow down; someone is going to put a back out."

Kagome laughed nervously, she nearly had put her back out not too long ago. "No, _Kouga, _this is number 3." She cupped her hand over her stomach that hadn't even begun to grow yet.

Kouga let out a long exasperated sigh and dropped his chin. "Kagome I'm sorry, I have bad news for you; I have found someone else. I just thought I'd tell you in person rather than you hearing it around town." Kagome's youngest child, a girl names Cho, ran up to Kouga singing his name and climbing up his leg with her claws like he was a tree.

Kagome grabbed the three year old and sat down with her on her lap. Kouga followed suit and sat down on a fence near where Kagome sat.

"Well… so tell me all about her!" Kagome chimed cheerfully.

"Oh Kagome; she's beautiful and wild, like she belongs outdoors. She has the most beautiful hair it's all the way down her back and perfectly straight. Her eyes glitter like … I don't know... like something brown that glitters. And her smile is like the sun. Her laugh is like birds singing." Kouga rested his cheek on his hand, looking dreamily at the sky. He continued after a break and a long sigh. "She's smart too, and feisty." He sighed again.

"So, if she's perfect why do you look so sad?" The little girl on Kagome's lap mocked his sad look and her little ears falling flat against her head.

"Yah yah, that's why I'm here actually. She's human. I told her she was going to be my mate, but she said I have to _woo_ her. Kagome, what's a _woo_?"

Kagome laughed at the innocence written all over his face. She thought for awhile tapping her nail on her cheek as she figured the best way to explain this to the wolf demon.

"Is it like mating, if it's like mating I can do that. I can do A LOT of that." A proud smile replaces his innocent expression

"No, no, no, Wooing is what you do to get a woman to do the mating." Miroku chimed in.

"Kouga don't listen to him he is a lecher. When you like a girl you make sure she knows it by giving her things and doing things for her; that's wooing in a nutshell." Kagome gently pushed Miroku so he would not perverse the explanation any further.

"Ok I get it, wooing huh. So what kind of stuff do you get them?" Kouga thought to himself he could kill a deer or something for her.

"Candy or flowers or nice ribbons or something like that"

Kouga thought to himself for a moment, candy was something humans sold and he did nt want to bother with them. Rin didn't seem like the type of girl to like ribbons. She smelt like flowers and he saw her playing with them yesterday, "Flowers…. Ok."

"So who is this lovely maiden you are attempting to woo?" Miroku asked.

"Her name is Rin." The dreamy look washed back over Kouga's features.

"RIN!" Kagome gasped. Miroku places a hand over her shoulder before she got carried away; there could be more than one Rin in the world after all.

"Tell me more, how did you two meet?" Miroku prodded.

"I kicked her dragon, pushed her in a stream and broke her ankle." Kouga laughed even though he knew no one else got the joke.

"A two headed dragon?" Shippo added in, he had been quietly listening to the conversation for quite sometime.

"Yah, you know her?"

Shippo was first to spill the beans as usual. "Yah I know her, you do too I think, she's Inuyasha's brother's ….." Shippo trailed off not really sure of what to call her in relation to Sesshomaru.

Kouga placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. He had met Inuyasha's brother before; a long time ago. "Sesshoma-something? Yah, I knew I smelt dog on her. She's his what?"

"Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru actually." Miroku attempted to answer Kouga's question the best he could. "Sesshomaru is like her guardian."

"Brother" Kagome remarked in unison with Mirokus 'guardian'.

"Father" Shippo added into the simultaneous mix of terms.

"Ok. Well as long as none of you said mate I don't care. Hey, thanks guys I gotta go; I have some wooing to do." Kouga turned to walk away.

Kagome grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Be careful Kouga, Sesshomaru protects her fiercely."

"Yah yah don't worry about me." Kouga assured her before breaking into a run and quickly disappearing from sight.


	5. Flower rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters.

Chapter 5: Flower Rain

The next day Rin returned to the stream. "What am I doing Ah-Un? He's not coming today, he said he would, but he's not." She had been waiting almost an hour.

Ah-Uh grunted and laid his heads back down in the grass.

Letting out a long sigh Rin leaned her back on the dragon's side and rested her head on him. She pulled her kimono up exposing the entire length legs, she enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her skin. It wasn't long before she found herself daydreaming about the demon again, _Kouga_, she said to herself. Even though he hadn't been very 'tactful' in their first meetings there was something about him that she liked. She couldn't think of a name for it.

Rin sighed again as she thought about his eyes and his smile. It was a flower falling on her head that broke her train of thought. Then another flower followed. Ah-Un lifted his heads too as more and more flowers fell from the tree.

Rin caught a few in her hands; they weren't the kind of flowers that grew in trees. They kept falling, _it's raining flowers?_ The thought made her giggle, the giggles grew into full blown laughter and she stood up to hold her arms out to catch more of the flowers.

The flowers made her forget about her injured ankle. She accidentally put too much weight on it and it buckled again. Before she could fall Kouga caught her. Rin looked up at him, he looked satisfied.

Rin didn't fight his hold on her waist, instead she used it to balance herself as she shifted her weight onto her other leg. "You did this? How?"

"Demon wolf magic." He smiled. Truth was, he had employed all the little girls from his tribe to collect all the flowers they could find and he put them in fishing nets which he hung in the trees. When he saw Rin and the dragon sit down, he secured them in the tree just above her and cut the net open so the flowers would fall, effectively causing it to rain flowers. But she didn't need to know that.

Kouga helped Rin sit back down against the dragon and he sat a few feet across from her so he could check her injured ankle. He unwrapped the limb and gave it a thorough inspection. It was swollen and bruised and looked like it hurt a lot. "It looks fine." He lied. He rubbed his hands up and down her exposed calf with a smile. Her skin was so soft and warm. She yanked her leg out of his hands and re wrapped the bandage with out a word.

"Thank you, Kouga." Rin finally said after her heart beat slowed down a bit.

"No problem, are you wooed? Can I claim you as my mate now?" he sat up straight and smiled mischievously as he spoke.

Rin's laughter made him rest back on his hands, "Yah" he said, "I didn't think it would be that easy."

Rin almost felt a little bad for the guy. She had never really expected to be married as was human custom; she had expected to be claimed in the demonic fashion. But still, there was something enjoyable about the human customs proceeding to marriage. "No it's not that easy" she managed.

"Yah, I figured it would take more than that to woo the Lady of the Western Lands."

Rin gasped and almost chocked. She crushed the flower she had been holding in her hand. "W-W-What?"

Kouga laughed at the look of shock on her face. "A friend of mine told me who you are, Kagome, you know her, she's mated to 'Dog-Shit'."

"Inuyasha?" Rin interrupted.

"Yah, yah, anyway she said you're that mutt's brother's ….. something?"

Something? What was he talking about? "Something?" she repeated aloud.

"They seemed a little confused as to what you are to him."

"They?" Kami, how many people did he talk to.

"The monk and kit. Anyway, you're dodging, what is he to you?"

Rin took a deep breath. How many times had she been asked this? It was an impossible question to answer. Her and Lord Sesshomaru's relationship was 'complex'. He was her … "Everything." She hadn't really meant to say it out loud, but was relieved that she did.

_Everything_, he wanted to understand. How could he compete with someone who was everything. When he looked back at her she had finished making one flower crown and had carefully placed it on Ah's head, now she was working on another. The smile on her lips and the look in her eyes made him want to try to be her everything. If he could understand what it meant, he'd have a much better chance.

"Everything?" Kouga repeated. He looked defeated.

"Kouga," Rin wanted to try to explain, but it's hard to explain something that you don't really understand yourself. "I don't know how to explain it to you."

"Try, I have to know what I'm up against don't I?" his smile retuned

She did want him to understand, but she doubted anyone would ever understand. "It's a long story and…"

"I have time."

Rin looked around, the sun was starting to set and she had to be back in the castle before night. "It's getting late."

Kouga knew she was right. He helped her to her feet; she placed the now completed flower crown on Un's head. Kouga laughed at the proud look on the dragons' faces as he stood up. He picked Rin up and placed her on the dragon. He grabbed her hands and kissed them firmly. "Tomorrow." His eyes glittered as they met hers.

Rin just nodded as she tried to slow her heart down and force the blush off her cheeks. Ah-Un, who had learned his lesson, took off before Kouga had a chance to hit his rear again.


	6. In Rin's eyes

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the characters in this story.

AN: Ok I guess I don't know how to do this anyway I'm trying to sum up a week in one chapter so its not like 8 chapters of dialoged.

AN 2: thanks for the reviews. I love them.

Chapter 6: In Rin's Eyes

The next week Rin met Kouga everyday in the clearing by the stream. Everyday he would check on her ankle and make sure he got a good grope of her calves before she yanked them away. Everyday Rin relaxed just a little more with him, the time it took her to pull her leg away from his wondering hands grew longer and longer. She really didn't need him to check on it, she was well versed in first aide and could take care of it herself, but she let him anyway.

Rin told Kouga all about her adventures with Lord Sesshomaru. She desperately wanted, needed, him to understand their relationship. It was hard to sum a life time of memories up into a few hours a day, but she had to try.

Kouga listened to her, every word she said. Sometimes, when she would tell him something that sompletely negated the image he had of 'Sesshoma-stoic", as he called him, he would look at her like she was crazy. She understood; it was hard for the rest of the world to believe that a man, who never showed an inkling of emotion, could be as loving and generous a Lord Sesshomaru was to her.

Kouga quickly came to realize that in Rin's eyes, Sesshomaru was more than man, more than a demon lord, more than a hero; he really was everything. There was no way that Kouga could replace him in her heart. It hurt his pride to know that he would never be number one to her. He had learned long ago that there were times when pride was nothing more than a burden. Sometimes pride just had no place in the world; and this was one of those times. He would have to be happy enough to have a place in her heart even if he wasn't number one.

Rin and Kouga sat on a rock at the river's edge, feet dangling in the water. Rin teased the minnows with her toes. She would burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter when the little fish would nibble at her toes. Kouga laughed with her.

"Kouga, can you… change into anything?" there was a childlike innocence in Rin's eyes.

"Like what?"

"Like a dog or something, Lord Sesshomaru can turn into a big dog; bigger than a tree." She looked up like he was actually up there somewhere, and smiled.

"Kami, why the hell would I want to change into a smelly mutt!" Kouga shook his head and made a face like he was going to vomit.

Rin laughed, "You're a wolf demon right; so can you turn into a giant wolf?"

"No." He lied; not a giant wolf anyway.

Rin's gaze returned to the water and her smile washed away. _She looks disappointed,_ he thought to himself. "Crap."

"What?"

"When Sesshoma-stoic changes into that big dog, that's his true form; yanno?" Kouga pulled his feet out of the water and placed them on the bank so he could face her.

"Yah, I know. I want to see what your '_true form_' is." Rin followed his movements facing him.

"Fine! I'm just a wolf, not big or anything. Well a little big." Kouga admitted, he was getting a little annoyed. The truth was that he didn't really like taking that form; it took a lot of energy. Also when in his true form he was a fully primal being. He was sure that it was the same thing with Sesshomaru. "Did _he_ ever show you his true form?"

Rin nodded and smiled. He had, that was how he had regenerated his arm, and he had to be in his true form to do so because that was how he had lost it. It was years after Naraku had been defeated, he might have done it sooner but he could afford to be vulnerable at that time. Rin remembered the time vividly:

'_Master Jaken where did he go? When is he coming back? Do you think he will let me pet him?' she had been completely dumbstruck when Lord Sesshomaru had transformed into a giant dog right in front of her eyes. Before she had time to think about it he had bounded off into the sky. _

'_Stupid girl it takes some time to regenerate something like a whole arm! But then you would have no idea since a pathetic human would die if they lost something as vital as an arm' Jaken banged his stick into the ground to silence her. _

_She spent the next two weeks daydreaming about petting the big dog, and rolling in the grass with him. She was still young and didn't really understand the situation; to her it was just a big dog, not Sesshomaru's true form. _

_At the end of the two weeks Lord Sesshomaru finally returned; with two arms. 'Lord Sesshomaru," Rin asked shyly "why did you need to re-re-regenerate your arm? You're the most powerful demon in the world, and you beat Naraku with only one arm." He didn't answer. _

'_Because you're getting heavy!' Jaken barked at her before she stalked after Sesshomaru. _

_Rin smiled, and didn't eat for almost a week. _

Rin stood up and Kouga followed. Rin stalked slowly, seductively, around Kouga. Her eyes never left his. Kouga tried to move but couldn't. She was close, painfully close; he could feel her breath as she worked her way around him. For the first time in his life he felt like he was the one being hunted.

The moment lasted forever. It was finally broken when he felt her reach out and grab his tail firmly. Kouga spun around intending on scolding her but the pleading in her eyes stopped him.

"Please."

'_Dammit too much damn time with a dog, she has mastered the puppy look!'_ "Fine!" he barked.

Kouga took a few steps away from her and with little effort transformed himself into his true form. He wasn't huge, but he was larger than Rin. He shook his head and took a look at his surroundings from the newly gained perspective.

Rin hadn't expected to react the way she did, maybe it was his size, or how fierce he looked, the way he howled when he had changed; Rin screamed. He took a step forward and she backed away. She was horrified.

It was the look of fear in Rin's eyes that forced his consciousness to return and he transformed back. "Rin?" he reached for her and she pulled away shaking her head fiercely. "Rin, you told me to, what's the hell is wrong!"

"I'm sorry." Rin really was sorry she didn't think she would react that way. She was ashamed. "I'm sorry, I forgot about the nightmares I used to have, I'm so sorry."

"What were they about?"

"Wolves," The emptiness in her glare wretched at his heart.


	7. Dirty Tricks

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. Really I don't own anything … visa owns me!

Chapter 7: Dirty Tricks

Two weeks had passed since Kouga had shown Rin his true form; the fear in her eyes that day still bothered him. If she was to be his mate there was no way she could be afraid of him, or any wolves for that matter. They had still met everyday by the stream and now that she could walk they would spend the days walking through the forest talking and laughing. Despite her consistency in meeting him he could tell that since that day she had been more alert around him. That would not do.

Kouga sat atop a rock looking down on his pack, a mixture of young and old, demons and wolves. Since he had taken control of the tribes, thanks to the jewel shards he had acquired so long ago, he had made a lot of mistakes. Thankfully the tribes were beginning to heal. So many had died because if his greed and he now recognized his mistakes. Since then his main concern with the tribe was to replenish their numbers. Making sure they felt safe would mean they felt secure enough to reproduce. And from the looks of all the cubs running around, he had done a good job.

Rin had told him that she had nightmares about wolves and that was all. He did not believe her. The fear that emanated from her that day was more that someone who had a few bad dreams would have felt. He could not fight the sinking feeling that something bad had happened to her at the hands of some wolves, or maybe coyotes. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the thought, if he found out anything of the sort, he swore he would kill the cultrate.

The bustling of the returning hunters broke his train of thought, they had done well, he could not help but to feel full of pride when they had a successful hunt. Fujita, Ginta's eldest son, bound up the rocks to join Kouga in his quiet contemplation. The boy sat next to Kouga perfectly mimicking his stance. Kouga spared the boy a glance and a proud smile before returning his gaze to the distance. It was early in the afternoon and he had to go meet Rin soon.

Wrestling with various ideas about how to subdue her fears he prepared himself to leave. Looking down at Fujita he got an idea; the best one yet. A smile lurched across his face as he looked down at the cub, which was again mimicking his every move. It was a dirty trick, but it would work, it had to.

The castle was lonely, too lonely. Rin had to leave for the day, there was nothing to do and she was actually dying of boredom. She could feel it, if she did not do something she would surely die. Deciding that she needed to talk to Kagome, Rin decided that would be a good way to spend the day.

She arrived at the village late in the morning; everyone was up tending to their various tasks. Kagome was tending a small herb garden with another young girl who she was obviously teaching about the different herbs. Rin smiled, that brought back memories; Kagome had taught Rin a lot too during the times she stayed with the miko. Not surprisingly, Lord Sesshomaru knew very little about 'becoming a woman' so he took her to his brother's miko for help sometime ago.

Kagome jumped to her feet and shook the dirt off her hands at the sight of Rin. "RIN! Oh I'm so happy to see you! It's been too long!"

"Indeed, Kagome I need to talk to you, in private, it's in regards to-" Rin paused for a moment and looked around pensively. Not seeing what, or who, she was looking for, she leaned in close and continued in a whisper, "woman things."

Kagome giggled and took Rin's arm leading her into her home. The two women settled for a moment and Kagome handed Rin a cup of tea, then sat beside her.

"What is bothering you Rin?" Kagome's tone was unsettling, like she knew something Rin didn't.

Rin figited nervously, ths was not a conversation she wanted to have. She looked around again nervously, she knew Inuyasha wasn't there, he had gone with Lord Sesshomaru, but she had to be sure, this was not a conversation she wanted Inuyasha or Lord Sesshomaru to know she was having. The two had a way of getting irate at any situation that might put Rin's innocence in question, more so the latter of the two.

After a long exaggerated sigh Rin forced herself to face the proverbial dragon; "What _happens_ when you mate?" Rin immediately recoiled waiting for Kagome to spit her tea or jump up, but nothing happened.

Kagome covered her mouth to hold back the giggles that were erupting from her involuntarily. "I'm surprised it took you this long to come and ask me with Kouga, the wolf prince, perusing you." She pronounced Kouga's name and title with an unmistakable hint of sarcasm.

"Oh yah I forgot you know him, what a coincidence." Rin felt her cheeks flush, what did Kagome know?

"Yes, I know Kouga, and his mating habits, he is very …. persistent."

Rin laughed persistent was the nice way to put it, he had been declaring since the day after they met that she was his mate. She did find it flatting in a weird way though.

"So, Kouga has asked you be his mate then, what will you do?"

Rin laughed again, "Ask isn't quite how I would put it, but I like him, how do you know for sure?"

Kagome sat up straight and put a more serious face on, "Well 'like' isn't exactly the way the emotion should be described, but then again having Sesshomaru as a teacher I'm sure there is confusion on that front as well. Rin, if you love him, you will know. Mating isn't something that should be taken lightly, and with wolf-demons, it's a serious gesture. They only take one mate in their lives."

Rin understood perfectly well what Kagome was talking about; Rin had always had trouble naming complicated emotions. Having been taught by the best, she was much better at hiding them than she was recognizing them. Kagome was also correct in the fact that 'like' was not really a sufficient word to use is describing her feelings for Kouga.

Noticing Rin's look of confusion and contemplation Kagome took decided to elaborate. "Rin, it's a serious thing, mating, not just for demons, but for humans too. You want your first time to be with someone you care about; it's just not something that you can waste on someone you don't care about. The same goes for him too, if he is going to share his lifespan with you, which could be a very very long time, he has to be sure. Once you've shared your blood there is no going back."

"How did you know when it was right?" Rin asked with an innocent gleam in her eyes

Kagome laughed nervously, her and Inuyasha's first time hadn't exactly been planned out. She struggled with a way to express this to Rin without further confusing the girl. "Your heart had eyes that your mind knows nothing of, just do what your heart tells you."

Rin let her head drop, all this talk of emotion and hearts and mating was giving her a headache, there were a lot of things she still had left to hash out in her own mind.

Looking outside Rin realized it was getting late, and she had a date with a certain wolf. She thanked Kagome and bid her farewell, before Rin could leave Kagome grabbed shoulder stopping her; "Just don't do anything permanent until Sesshomaru comes back, you know his approval is just as important to you as it is to him."

"Thank you Kagome." And with that Rin left. Lord Sesshomaru's approval was something she just hadn't wanted to think about. He would melt Kouga's face before he gave him permission to do _that_ with Rin.


	8. The Hunt

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the other characters in this story.

AN ok sorry it took me longer than normal to update ill try to pump a new chap tomorrow BUT if you are a fan of the Sess/Kag pairing (which I am) ive been reading this freekin fantastic story called "Tales from the House of the Moon. So good, that's what has hindered my writing this week. Anyway here we go! And don't worry Fluffy will come in soon.

Chapter 8: The Hunt

Rin waited in her usual spot for Kouga's arrival. She could see him walking toward her in the distance, but he wasn't alone; a little boy was running ahead of him. Rin smiled, he was adorable, he no more than 10 years old, he was clad in only a gray pelt and his hair was one spiky gray streak that ran from front to back.

When he caught sight of her he ran ahead of Kouga, who continued his pace. The boy Ran straight into Rin and immediately began circling and sniffing her. Apparently, when he was satisfied with his inspection, he grabbed Rin's hand and in a grand gesture he proclaimed, "I am Fujita, one day I will be the leader of the wolf demon tribe and you, woman, will be my mate." With that he kissed Rin's hand, but before he had a chance to say anything else Kouga picked the boy up by his tail lifting him to meet his face.

"Listen pup, that ones my mate, your going to have to go find your own. She wouldn't like you anyway; you have fleas." Kouga laughed and lowered the boy to the ground as he glowered furiously at the elder wolf.

Rin was laughing hysterically at the display. 'Was this Kouga's son?' she thought to herself. She watched fascinated as Kouga gave the boy a list of instructions and set him off to hunt alone, it was important, Kouga had told him, to learn to hunt alone as well as with the pack.

"He's just like you, what happened to his mother?" Rin asked once the boy left.

"Yah he is, I'm training him myself."

"And his mother?"

"Hell if I know, probably caring for her brood of pups, I think she has single handedly managed to repopulate the eastern wolf demon tribe." He smiled and smirked a little at the statement.

"So, you've been busy, I'm surprised you have time to come here every day with a mate and a ton of cubs to care about. I don't want to stop you from repopulating." With her hands crossed and irritation rising Rin turned to leave. 'I should have known there was something wrong with him, STUPID' she mentally chastised herself.

"HEY HOLD ON!" Kouga shook his head trying to figure out at just what point his plan had backfired. "He's not MY son, well not technically, in a way they are all mine but it's not what you think. Hey listen," his tone softened when she stopped walking and turned back to look at him.

"He said he was the future leader of the wolf demon tribe, doesn't that make him your son?"

"No, it doesn't work like that, the strongest is the leader. Someday someone will challenge me and become the leader like I did." There was a strange undertone to his words, not quite melancholy, no, anticipation.

"Fujita?" Rin was curious; normally leadership was passed down through the generations.

Kouga jumped up onto a nearby rock and looked off into the distance. "Yah Fujita, he's by far the strongest that's been born. That's why I'm training him personally; his old man would make a mess of it."

"So, you _want_ him to challenge you? I don't get it does that mean he has to kill you?" Rin looked up at the wolf, her eyes filled with concern.

Kouga chocked out an uncomfortable laugh, "it's inevitable, I just want the next leader of my people to learn from my mistakes. I've mad a lot, risked a lot, because of those damn jewel shards…." His eyes flashed as he looked back at her and forced a smile. "No it doesn't mean he has to kill me, he just beats me, and I leave."

"You really care about them don't you?" Rin tried to understand, the style of leadership that she had witnessed throughout her life was so much different. Kouga talked about hs tribe like they were the most important thing in the world, but he seemed to sad and regretful for what ever choices he made that he was speaking of.

"They are my family, if I fail as a leader, they die. It's as simple as that. Yah I care for them, all of them. It's going to be hard to leave them when its my time, but I owe them."

What ever he did it must have been really bad Rin couldn't help but observe. She tried to think of something to lighten the mood, "I can hunt."

Kouga laughed, the normal glimmer returned to his blue eyes, "Yah, right the Lady of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru's ward, can hunt." He laughed even harder.

Gaping Rin held her stance, "I CAN! Lord Sesshomaru ALWAYS made me hunt for myself; he felt it was an important skill to master."

"Well, I can't argue with his fathering skills, but I still don't believe you."

Rin, determined to prove the cocky wolf wrong, marched over to the river bank with him following close behind still laughing. She pulled her kimono as far up her thighs as she could and stepped into the water.

Kouga, although grateful for the view, could not help but laugh at the display. She looked rather undignified standing in the water concentrating on some unseen prey. For a moment an image of a little girl doing the same thing passed through his mind, it was so long ago, he thought as he pushed the painful memory back. The sound of splashing water and skin slapping caught is attention once more.

Rin stood in the water with a large fish in her hands. The proud smile on her face forced him to cease his laughing. "Mildly impressive." Kouga allowed. Truthfully he was impressed, she had caught a pretty large fish, with her bare hands, in almost no time; not bad for a human.

"I told you!" Rin whispered something to the fish then ran her finger down his forehead. She kissed the fish gently and returned him back to the water, watching it swim away.

"Hey! Why did you let it go?"

"I don't need to kill it, plus its not like I can just eat it raw, trust me I tried once, it didn't work out well."

"Elaborate." Kouga crossed his hands over his chest.

"When I was a kid Jaken told me eating raw meat would make me sick, but I didn't believe him because Lord Sesshomaru always ate his meat raw. When Jaken tried to stop me Lord Sesshomaru told him to let me do it; and I did."

"Did you get sick?"

"Terribly, but I learned my lesson. That's how Lord Sesshomaru taught me most of my lessons, letting me try it myself."

"Again, the guy has some parenting skills."

Kouga retook his position on a boulder a little deeper into the woods, he was looking off into some unknown location and his entire attention was being directed to where ever it was. The setting sun glowed behind him making him look luminescent. He look so proud, but his expression was generally unreadable.

"Just like him…" Rin tried desperately to suck the words back in, she hadn't meant to speak them out loud, it took a moment for her to even realize that she had. It was his head coking to the side and his eyes piercing her that made her aware of her mistake.

Kouga jumped down from his perch and stalked toward her saying nothing. The look in his eyes told her he wasn't going to hurt her; it was something else, something more frightening. She took a step back and another before she found herself backed against a tree.

"Not as much as you want to think." He finally said.

He didn't sound insulted or hurt, he was toying with her, 'like a cat toys with its prey.'

"Yah, you're right, you're … so … you're… _gushy_." Rin giggled a little at her choice of words; 'gushy huh?'

Kouga quickly closed the gap between them and placed his left hand on the tree behind her right next to her head. "I am not gushy."

Rin's heart beat became irratic, the blood flowed violently throughout her body. "Emotional?" she had to force the words, the blush rising on her face was more than she could handle.

Kouga could hear her heart beat pick up and he could smell the dramatic shift in her scent, granted he knew it was unfair to use his senses as an advantage, he reasoned that he had them for a reason, right? He snaked his other hand around her waist and pulled her hips flush against his own.

"Uh-uh, try again."

When Kougas arm came to rest Rin felt like her stomach was going to explode, the blood that had rushed to her face was now rushing its way over her skin. Goose pimples erupted from the spot his hand rested and spread over her entire flesh making it ten times more sensitive. She could no longer talk, as hard as she tried, her body was betraying her. She just shook her head.

"What then?" it took all the will she possessed to utter those two words.

His lips were so close to hers that she could feel the energy exchange freely between the two of them. When he exhaled she inhaled with a desperation, like she needed his breath to survive.

"Passionate" The word left his lips and landed in hers, it reverberated throughout her body and her mind.

"Passionate" she whispered in return, she tried desperately to understand what the word meant, she willed him to show her. His lips found hers finally relieving the tension that had built up between them. A new kind of tension began to build up deep inside her body. This tension was more desperate, more wanton, she need to feel him.

His fangs gently caressed her lips; his tongue parted her lips, his arm tightened around her waist. A weak whimper was all she could manage before her knees gave out. He steadied her until she could find her footing again.

The whole experience was far too pleasurable. 'Passionate' Rin repeated over and over in her mind. That was it, the adjective that she needed to describe him, the unnamed thing that she had never experienced before in her short life.

"Kouga! Kouga!"

Fujita's calls hit Kouga's ears like thunder. With a growl he disengaged himself from the kiss. Praying that the child would go away, he kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead on Rin's; her eyes remained closed as well.

"Kouga! We are not supposed to eat humans! You said!"

"FUJITA!..."

"Oh my, that's a huge rabbit! You did great!" Rin interjected before Kouga had the opportunity to kill the boy.

After an extended period of uncomfortable silence, Fujita broke in, "Well if you weren't eating her…"

With that Kouga picked the pup up by his tail, bid Rin farewell, and took his leave for the evening.

Rin remained in the spot where they had kissed until well after sunset. _Passionate. _


	9. Love

Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep doing this … all 4 people who are reading this get the damn point … I don't own Inuyasha… I don't think I'd want to anyway … I'd personally prefer to own Fluffy.

AN sorry it took so long on this one and I don't plan on posting till I finish the next chap. I am not so cruel as to leave you with a cliffie, if this will be one, and im not saying it will be, oh just shut up and read it already. School and finals suck. Oh but I got a plot bunny in my head and im trying to tackle a kag/sess I don't know if ill ever finnish because they all seem the same to me yanno. But the point is I like alt pairings, the anime and the maga only go so far and im pretty sure RT is lacking in the romantic department. Anywho, id love to stay and chat but you need to read my story and I need to write it .. then you can review it ok (all 4 of you who are reading it)!

Chapter 9: Love

After reluctantly leaving Rin for the day Kouga returned to his den. As the evening trudged on Kouga sat solemnly out of the way of the rest of the pack. His body was tortured with the memory of Rin's lips and the curve of her hips pressed against him. It took all of his resolve to remain there in the encampment and not go kill every living thing in the forest to ease his frustrations.

There was no doubt in his mind, if there ever had been, that he wanted Rin as his mate.

By the time the moon was high in the sky Kouga had made up his mind. He had tried to wait patiently, he had tried distracting himself, he had tried killing things, but nothing would alleviate the tension inside of him.

One of the many things that plagued him was the fact that Rin was human; and therefore mortal. He would live hundreds of years longer than her as would their children. Of course he had thought about this before now, but now this added to his feelings of urgency. He didn't have all the time in the world to enjoy her, only a few short decades. So the choice was made, he simply couldn't hesitate.

With this in mind he turned to west, and took off into the direction of the Lord of the West's home.

Rin sat alone in her garden for most of the evening and into the night. She watched as the flowers that bloomed in the sunlight closed them selves away, and the ones that only bloomed in the moonlight opened up to breathe in the freshness that came with the night.

She sat in the darkness idly rubbing her lips with her first two fingers. Although she had never felt that kind of warmth against them, she found that she missed it immediately. Letting out a deep sigh she tried to reign in her random thoughts and flaring emotions.

He had the strangest effect on her, she trusted him immediately, she loved being with him, and even though they had only known one another for about a month she felt like she had known him forever.

Oddly, while feeling as she had known him forever, there was also something completely foreign and fascinating about him. The only man she had been around in her life was always in complete control. He was a strategist to the extreme, always plotting, anticipating, even in casual conversation. On the contrary Kouga was brash and emotional. She was pretty sure he vocalized every thought that entered his head with out any consideration over the repercussions.

Is quickness was something that reminded her a precious part of herself that she had all but forgotten. She used to let her emotions guide her the way he did, never thinking or caring about the consequence. Now, as she aged, duty and expectations took that childish innocence away from her. When she was with Kouga she found that missing piece of herself. Was that the wrong reason to be in love with him?

Criticizing herself for her selfish love and analyzing the reasons she cares for him; Rin slowly began to let her self fall asleep against a small cherry tree surrounded flowers she loved so dearly.

Kouga was surprised, and if he had to admit a little appalled, at how easily he gained access to the compound. He was surprised t fine that Sesshomaru's skeleton staff was made up of all humans. How odd. You would think that the Lord of the West would have demons in his employ. He sniffed around a little bit, there was a faint smell of demons throughout the castle, but it seemed none of them were there now. How lucky.

Sniffing his way through the corridors he finally came across a door that was bathed in Rin's scent. He slid open the door fully expecting to see her laying in her bed, but was a little puzzled when she wasn't. He was sure this was her room. Entering slowly his suspicions were affirmed, but she was nowhere in sight.

He looked around the room for a moment. The room was kind of bare, only the essentials, for some reason he had figured that she would have more things, and be more accustomed to fineries. His suspicion was wrong, to his relief.

To the far end of the room he saw the open doors leading out to a garden. Confirming his suspicion he took a quick sniff of the air, she was outside. It was the middle of the night, why would she be outside?

Squaring himself off he quietly walked out to into the moonlight. The sight awaiting him made his heart constrict into an uncomfortable tightness.

Rin was leaning her back against a cherry tree, the pale pink blossoms looked white and glowed under the rich moonlight. The silky white and red garment she wore looked more like a robe than a kimono, it was decorated with sakura blossoms around the cuffs of the arms and reaching up from the bottom the hem to her waist before fading from red back into white. It was glowing eerily in the soft caresses of the moon. Her hair cascading over her shoulder took on a black sheen in the darkness; in the moonlight it looked silkier than her clothing.

Despite the stunning of her beauty, what made his heart tighten was the way she looked so natural there outside. She looked like she belonged in the garden as much as the tree she was propped up against or the flowers cascading around her. The part of Kouga that had originally worried about her ability to live outdoors and belong was swept away immediately. She belonged outside, she belonged with him.

Regaining his composure Kouga squared himself off once again and continued his way to the sleeping woman, his sleeping woman. Listening to her breathing and heart beat he could tell that she wasn't in a deep sleep; that made him feel less bad about having to wake her up.

Kouga had every intention of saying her name, but when he touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb along the soft ridge of her cheek bone, his voice hitched in the throat. Crouching beside her he watched with fascination as she nuzzled deeper into his hand with his touch. She brought her hand up to cup over his and pushed it closer to her face nuzzling it ever deeper.

She opened her eyes ad slowly blinked the last bits of sleep out of her sight. She struggled for a moment, brow furrowing, trying to determine just where she was and make sure that this wasn't just a dream. "Kouga?"

'Again these damn uncooperative vocal cords. Talking is over rated.' With that resolved, Kouga pulled her to him and claimed her lips for the second time that day.

Everything that happened to Rin from that point forward was king of a blur. Oh no, not a bad one mind you, it was beautiful. The feeling of his lips on hers and his tongue dancing with hers left her moaning softly and him growling. The taste of him and the smell that was nothing but pure wild made her heart pound. His fangs gently gracing her neck and his claws raking over her body, she relished in the feel that something so deadly could be so loving at the same time.

Rin could hear her lover whispering grand declarations of love and promises for the future in her ear, but she couldn't understand them through the white haze that enveloped her mind when he lifted her from the garden and took her to her bed.

She was hardly aware of the moment when his armor joined her clothing on the floor in a pile of leather, silk, and fur. It wasn't until she was laying on her futon with him on top of her that she gave a second thought to what was about to happen. '_You'll know when your ready'_ that was what Kagome had said, right? And now, she couldn't stop this and deny herself even if she wanted to; 'I'm ready'. With that thought Rin let herself go to the passion that was him, the man who she loved so much.

Sesshomaru had spent that last week and a half traveling back to his home, he would have made it in a few days if he hadn't had taken that damn half-breed with him in the first place. Again for the thousandth time in the past month he chastised himself for his choice, he knew he needed to take someone with him to the continent; why he had decided to take his half-brother was beyond even him. It was probably Rin's persistent prodding him to befriend the half-breed. At least now he was rid of him and would be home by sunrise.

His thoughts, as he saw his home appear in the distance and the sun finally graced the earth with her presence, once again turned to Rin. He had been thinking a lot about their situation the past month. He cared for the child, immensely, although he would never dare to admit that one to himself or anyone else for that matter.

He was aware that she was widely accepted as his 'heir' by demons and humans, but this was unacceptable. If he were to die today, however ridiculous that would be, and Rin were to take over, she would die by nightfall. Demons would not accept her as a ruler or respect her authority simply because she was human. And humans had been trying to take his lands for years; this would be a perfect opportunity, they would not respecter her authority because she is a woman. So either way she was unfit to be his heir.

As he thought back on it, the only reason he had accepted her to be considered as such was because it was preferable to being known as his whore. As a child her presence had been regarded as some kind of pet, but as she grew so did the rumors. When he left on this latest journey he had sent all the demon servants and guards away out of fear that one would try to take advantage of the notion that was the lover of a demon, whether true or not.

After a being away from her for a month, he had the clarity he needed to make a decision with out her constant smiling or the love she showered him with. She was old enough by human standards to be mated, or what ever it is humans do. She was attractive by human standards, also she had a background of wealth; surely it would be easy to find a suitable human male for her to be with. Sesshomaru decided that within the next month he would announce her as being ready to see suitors.

There was always a nagging thought at the back of his mind that human men would not take lightly to the fact that she was raised by a demon, or that she had sought comfort in his arms on so many occasions. He knew how hateful humans could be, but that just meant he had to be more selective; and that was how he made that nagging thought shut up.

Sesshomaru, lost in his thoughts, had finally reached his home. The sun just peaking over the horizon and the light filtered into the home chasing away the lingering shadows of night. He stepped into the western building where the living quarters were, and let out a sigh of relief at finally being home. After the long sigh he drew in an equally long breath as to linger in the scent that was so distinctively 'home'.

"Blood" he recognized. It was Rin's blood, but it was faint; she wasn't injured. Next he recognized as wolf. The third scent he didn't want to register. His thoughts darkened and his mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion, and he braced himself mentally for the impact as he hastily made his way to Rin's room.


	10. Busted

Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep doing this … all 4 people who are reading this get the damn point … I don't own Inuyasha… I don't think I'd want to anyway … I'd personally prefer to own Fluffy.

Chapter 10: Busted

Sesshomaru reached Rin's chambers in a flash. He angerly pushed the door open and stepped into the room not failing to take notice of the pile of silk and fur in the corner. His eyes trailed to the couple sleeping soundly on the futon.

An involuntary growl erupted from him at the sight of Rin lying naked in the arms of the wolf. Part of him was pleased that his fear that she had been raped was unfounded, but an equal part of him was beyond disturbed by the sight of Rin's lost innocence.

"RIN!"

The world itself imploding might not wake up Rin, but hearing her beloved lord growl out her name in such an angey manner would have woken her from a coma. Her eyes shot open to see her lord standing over her, fangs bared, with an undeniable rage in his eyes.

It only took her a second to pry herself from Kouga's sleeping grasp and pull her bed cover over her naked form so she could stand and face her lord. She stood before him looking into his amber eyes silently pleading with him to let the wolf live all the while searching for any other emotion besides rage.

Kouga sensed the aura of the other demon almost immidatly, he was strong, extremely strong. But strong or not, taiyoukai or not, Rin was his mate, he had every right in the world to be in bed with her.

Kouga stretched his arms lazily, yawning and scratching the back of his head. He cocked open one eye to take a look at the taiyoukai and the trembling girl standing before him. Kouga could feel the fear radiating off of Rin and didn't like it, but the best way to keep her from being afraid was to show that he himself was not afraid. He stood up and grabbed his pelt, wrapping it securely around his waist, and then returned his attention to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru himself never took his eyes off of Rin's; he didn't even acknowledge the little dramatic display the wolf was showing. It was not worth his time to deal with such a childish beast. "Leave now and I will not kill you." That was all he needed to say to the wolf.

"I'd love too, come on Rin lets go." But Rin didn't even look at him. Her eyes held steady in Sesshomaru's. Kouga made a grab for Rin's arm only to be stopped when Sesshomaru's gaze left Rin and turned to him. The rage in his aura was powerful, but Kouga refused to be intimidated, this bastard would not stand between him and his mate.

A vague recognition hit Sesshomaru when he looked at the wolf, and with another whiff of his scent it was confirmed. "Kouga, wolf prince, you owe me a life. Shall I take it now?"

"I don't owe you shit!" Kouga barked back in utter confusion. 'What the hell is he talking about, he let my pack live on his lands, but only to use us as a defensive measure, why would I owe him anything.'

"You feel you have the right to take Rin as a mate, you do not her life belongs to me."

"She is my mate, you made no claim on her!"

"You misunderstand me Prince; her life belongs to me because I gave it back to her after _you_ took it in cold blood."

Kouga shuttered visibly, and decided right now was not the time for revelations like this. But trying to push back the thoughts in his head was impossible.

"You would damn your tribes by taking a human as a mate?" Sesshomaru asked once he returned his eyes to Rin.

"Taking her as a mate will only better my tribe, her being your heir will poise my tribe to take over the western lands!" Kouga puffed his chest out and planted a cocky across his face.

Rin had heard enough, her gaze fell to the floor and her frame shook with a silent sob. "Leave." was all she had to say.

Kouga looked at her and watched as her fear changed to rage. He could smell the salt in her tears that had yet to fall. He closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh as he realized what he had said. That wasn't how he meant to say it, he was thinking about the other stuff and it just … fell out. 'Oh gods, what did I do!'

He quickly grabbed the rest of his armor and not even bothering to put it on, he ran. He ran as fast as he could as far as he could.

Rin didn't have to look to know he was gone, as soon as he left she fell sobbing to the floor at her lord's feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm so stupid." Rin repeated her new mantra over and over between gut wrenching sobs.

Sesshomaru watched for a moment before that part of him that only Rin new took over. He discarded his hard armor, fell to his knees, and took the sobbing girl into his arms.

"Silly child, this is not your fault, you did nothing wrong." He repeated to her over and over until she calmed down a little.

Sesshomaru ordered a servant to prepare a bath for the girl and took her in his arms to the bath house. She was still sobbing but not nearly as violently. He held her on his lap in the bath house while the servants scattered about toting hot water and herbs into the room. Sesshomaru thought back to the countless nights he held her like this when she was a child and had a bad dream; 'these damn wolves just wont leave her alone.'

"Rin, the dreams you've always had about wolves…"

She interrupted him between sobs and sniffles, "They weren't dreams were they?"

"No, they were not."

She registered this new information with a few shaky breaths.

"He is not good enough for you Rin, he is not worth your tears."

"I…I… I thought he loved me, he said he loved me"

"He lied Rin, he lied to get what he wanted" With that said one of the servants nodded to Sesshomaru that the water was ready. "We will never speak of this again, you will be betrothed to a human as soon as possible and you will forget any of this ever happened. Understood? Now wash his stench off of you it is making me ill." And with that Sesshomaru handed her off to a servant and left without looking at her reaction.

Sesshomaru walked the halls of his home and eventually found his way back to Rin's room. He ordered everything that smelt of the wolf burned. 'I hope the smell goes away after that, I don't want to have to burn this whole wing.'


	11. Running

Chapter 11: Running

AN: the next few chapters will be a little slow coming I am going to post another story soon about the kids all grown up and its going to be a long one. Im also slowly … very slowly working on a sess/kag. But im going to bang this one here out first. Thanks for the reviews and I really appreciate them, you have no idea how good it feels to know that there are people reading this.

Oh and thanks for the questions, it lets me know what I need to address yanno. Thanks!

Kouga ran as fast and as hard as his body would allow. He hadn't meant what he had said, not like that anyway. Sure her 'position' was a … reason, but not THE reason. He really did love her, and she really is a worthy mate, but he has to take into consideration the state of his people. If he takes a mate just because she is pretty, strong, and smart, the tribe would not understand. therefore, for lack of the sake of face, he would tell them he took her because of her status, he was a demon after all.

Then there was the matter of him killing her, unfortunately he knew EXACTLY what Sesshomaru was talking about; and that tore him apart. She would never, could never, forgive him; no one could.

Kouga continued to run, attempting to clear his mind, but it wasn't working; he needed someone to talk to. He thought about going to his tribe, but he knew what they would do; they would hunt and kill Sesshomaru. With that current state of his tribe, he could not afford to lose anyone, not even one. He spent the last 5 years bringing all the scattered tribes together to rebuild after the destruction caused by Naraku, and he could not let his love affair undo all the work he had done. Also he was well aware that killing Sesshomaru, bastard or not, would hurt Rin; also not an option.

'Kagome, she'll know, she knows about humans and women!'

A few hours later Kouga made it to his destination.

Kouga pushed the screen aside and walked into Kagome's hut head hung low, shoulders slumped. Kagome greeted him with her normal smiles and gentle hellos.

"Kagome, OH Kagome," he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Kouga! Let me go," she wiggled and giggled trying to free herself form his grip.

"Kagomeeee," he whined hopelessly, "I met your mates brother today."

"Half-brother, and get the fuck off my woman flea bag!" Inuyasha interrupted in his normal gruff, aggressive manner.

"Oi, Dog face this is none of your damn business, I came here to talk to Kagome; not you!" the two men began growling at one another, luckily Kagome was rather accustomed to this sort of behavior was could quickly remedy it.

Half an hour, and a pot of tea later, all were calm and it was resolved that Inuyasha was NOT leaving Kouga alone with Kagome; they all took a seat in the hut.

Inuyasha, surprisingly, was the first to break the silence." So, what's the big deal with you talking to my bastard half-brother?"

"Oh, Inuyasha I didn't eve get a chance to tell you I'm so sorry Kouga has been, _courting_ Rin."

"Wolves don't court."

Kagome sighed, why did demons have to be so difficult! "What ever you know what I mean."

"Rin? Sesshomaru's runt?"

"Same Rin dog breath. Anyway I had a _run in_ with Sesshomaru this morning. He said some things…" Kouga trailed off and the normal brightness in his eyes dulled.

"It's ok Kouga," Kagome reassured gently, "What did he say, it couldn't be that bad."

"I said something too"

"Spit it out already flea bag!"

Kouga growled, he really really wasn't in the mood for this right now. "He said I killed her, I said the only reason I want to take her as a mate is because of who she is to him."

"Whoa, Kouga! Why would you say that you don't mean that!?" Kagome looked utterly disgusted, which was oddly reassuring because Kouga felt utterly disgusted with himself.

Kouga's head hung and shoulders slumped, "Because he threw me off with the killing her stuff."

"That's stupid, you didn't kill her she's not dead right?" Inuyahsa interjected punching Kouga none to gently in the arm.

To everyone's surprise Kouga didn't even respond to the assault. He shook his head and took a deep breath, this was going to be hard.

"Do you guys remember the day we met?" they both nodded. "Do you remember that village?" they both nodded. "Me and the wolves killed everyone in that village. We don't like eating humans-"

"I thought you guys ate humans until you met me?" Kagome interrupted

Kouga chuckled lightly, "No, I just told you that so you would think more of me. We don't like to eat humans, they are usually malnourished and don't taste very well. We do though, if times are really hard. Back then they were.

"There was the thief in my tribe, stole my jewel shard. We were hunting him and saw him go to that village so I watched while I waited for the others to catch up.

"While I was waiting I saw this little human girl fishing, times were hard on them too. I had planned on letting the wolves eat all their livestock but seeing that little girl, I figured we would let them be.

"Then the village men caught the kid fishing and beat her, they said she stole. How can you steal fish that live in a river, they belong to the earth not to one man? Anyway they beat her; a bunch of grown men beat a little girl.

" I didn't watch them kill her, I left. When the wolves caught up I gave them permission to kill everyone. They didn't even eat most of them; just killed them. And if you ask me ill tell you I still think those bastards deserved it."

After a long silence Kagome spoke up, "Was the little girl Rin?"

"Yah, I think so, I saw the wolves chase someone off into the forest. I didn't think anything of it because I just figured she was dead, yanno." Kouga stopped, a frown marring his face.

"How do you know that was it, that was her?" Inuyasha asked, still trying to assimilate the information.

"Because, that's the only human village we ever destroyed like that." He scrated his head for a moment then, "But how did he bring her back to life if she was dead? He said that she was his because he gave her life."

"His sword can bring back the dead." Kagome stated and Inuyasha agreed with a knowing nod.

Kouga perked up for a moment then returned to his pervious dejected pose.

"Well, if you want to take her as a mate now's a good time. While me and Sesshomaru were visiting the continent there was this human guy, like an emperor or something. This guy could not stop yapping." Inuyasha shook his head and shuttered a little at the memory; the guy really had been insufferable. "Anyway, the guy kept talking about his daughter who just turned 13 and how he was going to 'introduce her to society' so that she could see 'suiters' and get 'married'."

Kouga raised and eyebrow; that caught his attention."The point?"

"I'm getting there, just shut up and listen. Sesshomaru seemed really interested." Kouga raised a questioning eyebrow again, and Inuyasha returned the sentiment with an annoyed sigh.

"Sesshomaru is NEVER interested in human shit, but he kept asking this guy all kinds of questions. I had to kick his ass to get him to talk, but he finally told me he is going to put Rin up like that, that she is old by human standards and that its time for her to find a 'husband'."

Kagome clapped and smiled, "This is great Kouga, you can just go to Sesshomaru and talk to him and ask him permission! Rin is already totally in love with you so I'm sure he will be ok with everything!"

Through Kagome's happy clapping and jumping around Kouga's low growls could be heard.

"He IS NOT going to put my mate on an auction block like a piece of meat! HE CANT SHE IS MY MATE!" By this point Kouga was up and pacing back and forth across the hut.

"Well, wolf, technically she not really _your_ mate until you guys-"

And Kouga stopped pacing mid-step.

"You didn't!?!?" Kagome screamed

Kouga reached up and rubbed his neck, "Um, well, that's kind of what he came home to this morning, when he had our 'chat'."

"He is going to melt your dick. Be happy you aren't going to die a virgin flea bag." Inuyasha punched him in the arm again.

"Yah but, he can't pull them apart like that, if he marked her then that's it right?"

'Kagome, always the optimist' Kouga and Inuyasha thought in unison.

"Mark her?"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's collar and pulled it down to expose the twin shiny scars.

"How did you do that?"

"You bite her idiot, really I didn't think you were THAT stupid."

"That's, That's kind of gross. Wolves don't bite their mates."

"Then how do you mark them" Kagome interrupted.

"Scent. And when my tribe accepts her _they_ will mark her." Kouga pulled the chest of his armor down to expose a welt that looked like a sun with a strange looking Kanji in the middle.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha gave him a questioning look, he sighed and elaborated. "It's a ritual, we all hunt, and then feast, and then the new member of the pack is marked. They carve the mark in your skin with the fang of one of the ancients."

"Oh" Was Kagome's only response.

"Keh, and biting is gross. How the hell is a smell and a cut supposed to prolong her life?"

"huh?"

Inuyasha sighed again for what felt like the hundredth time that day; the last thing he wanted to be talking about with the wolf was mating rituals. "You have to bite them to infuse their blood with your youki. That way they will live longer."

"Oh," Kouga scratched his head and looked deep in thought. "Yanno, ive never really heard of a wolf taking a human mate anyway. I guess that's more of a dog thing huh? Yanno what they say… 'man's best friend' and all."

"Shut up Kouga!"

"Kouga, what are you going to do?" Kagome interrupted.

"Well, actually… I don't know. I _killed_ her, she wont forgive me for that."

"Inuyasha, can you take me to go see Rin. She needs a woman now; I cant even imagine how Sesshomaru has explained this to her."

"Keh, I just got rid of that bastard!"

"Please Inuyasha, if you won't take me I'm sure _Kouga_ will."

That worked.

"Fine we're going."

"I'm coming too, this is my responsibility."

"Ok Kouga, but keep your distance until one of us calls you, I really need to talk to her. And maybe Inuyasha can talk some sense into Sesshomaru."

"Beat." Inuyasha clarified.

AN ok that's it didn't really edit though so I hope this is readable. I'm lazy.


	12. Back at the ranch

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

AN ok ok ok im almost done. I know this was kind of a filler chapter but the next one will be more dramatic and may involve ass kicking. Im not sure though so don't hold me to that. Thanks for the reviews !

Chapter 11: Happenings back on the ranch ….

Rin remained in the warmth of the water long after she was clean reveling in the feeling of the water surrounding her. 'The water wasn't really even warm anymore,' she noticed as she looked at her wrinkled fingertips. She closed her eyes and focused on the way the water lapped against her skin in waves originated by the tiny, silent sobs still reeking havoc on her weak form.

'So, the dreams were memories.' She thought blandly. It should have bothered her more than it did that she had been torn apart by wolves; but it didn't. Despite the cruel revelation she still didn't feel like it was _real_. When did she forget? She dug through the recesses of her cluttered mind for the answer, but all it could provide was more questions. One of the biggest being: If Sesshomaru knew, why didn't he ever tell her?

She cried more, she felt like her body was going to run out of water soon. The waves in the tiny pool lapped furiously against her skin in an almost hypnotic motion. She wiped the tears away viciously as if they were burning her flesh. She didn't want to be sad anymore; it was time to be angry now.

Images of her pulling her own hair out while screaming frantically and banging her head against the cold hard floor flooded Rin's mind. She grabbed handfuls of her hair and in a febal, attempt to relieve her stress, she tried to live out her morbid fantasy. As hard as she pulled nto even a strand of hair came loose. She screamed out in her frustration and sank down under the water holding her breath until her body forced her to surface. 'Why is it impossible to simply drown one's self in such a fashion?'

Kouga had turned on her in the end. After everything he said, all the promises he made while they gave themselves to one another. "I love you Rin, I'll always love you, you're so beautiful and… Kami, I just…I love you!" His words replayed over and over in her head, she could hear the huskiness of his voice and feel his hot breath against her skin. It was all a lie.

She growled at herself in a very un-human fashion. Sesshomaru would have been proud. How could she have fallen for his lies? Sesshomaru was right; demons can't love, love is a stupid human emotion. Utterly useless.

Rin thought to herself; maybe Sesshomaru could teach her how to close herself off like he did. He had made it very clear that he thought her human emotions were silly, but he never attempted to train her to restrain them. Maybe he could; that would be good.

Rin was brought out of her musings and mental images of her dressed like Sesshomaru and mimicking his stoic façade by a tap on the door. Rin held her breath and closed her eyes in hopes that who ever the intruder was would just go away. She would not be so lucky.

"Rin." The gentle voice called from the other side of the door.

Rin let out the breath she had been holding and sighed in relief. It was Kagome, she could talk to Kagome about this.

"Come in." she called back to the older woman; she had meant it to be a good call but instead it came out as a broken squeak.

Kagome stepped into the bathhouse and looked over Rin who was still in the bath. Rin did her best to give the woman a smile, which failed miserably. Kagome tilted her head to the side and gave Rin, what she decided, was unequivocally the worst look she had ever received in her entire life. There was a mixture of pity and empathy along side understanding and compassion. The look said: 'Oh you poor stupid girl who gave your stupid virginity to a stupid wolf, I feel so bad for your stupidity.' At least that's what Rin saw.

Rin sighed and sunk deeper in the water once again willing the water to drown her. Kagome's hand on her shoulder brought her attention back to the older woman.

"Rin…" she started

"Did Sesshomaru send for you? Did he call you so you could tell me how bad I messed up, or for you to take me to live with you because he can't stand to see me again?"

"No, Kouga came to see me this morning…"

"To brag?" Rin interrupted.

"Rin, listen to me, I know your mad, but just listen, ok. You didn't do anything wrong, if you felt you were ready, and you did what you did, then its ok. It's your body and your choice. Kouga cares…" Kagome was trying her best to formulate her thoughts and set up this little 'talk'. She tried to remember how her mom had gone about this with her, Rin didn't have a mom.

"Save it. All Kouga cares about is power and getting into my skirt." Rin huffed crossing her arms over her chest and turning away.

"I know Kouga, and I know sometimes he can get … carried away. He gives his emotions freely, but they really are genuine and he does care for you. But this is something that he should be telling you not me. I know you too, Rin, and I know how you also give your affections rather loosely." Kagome immediately realized the error in her choice of words when Rin cocked an eyebrow at her. She laughed at the very 'Sesshomaru' gesture.

"That's now what I meant. I mean, you love people easily, but when you do you do it with all your heart. So does Kouga. Its not often in times like these to find people who are so willing to love so freely and even rarer for two people like to that find one another."

Rin started crying again at Kagome's words. She was right, she was so right; but…

"He left," She cried. "He…he… he just ran away. He said he only wanted to be with me was to take the western lands and then he just left!" her body was shaking and her tears were falling freely into the water.

Kagome hugged Rin the best she could with out getting into the water with her. She tilted the girls head up and looked into her eyes smiling, surprising herself at how much she had truly become a mother.

"What did you expect your first time to be like?" Kagome asked still smiling.

Rin sniveled and tried to compose herself, "Just like it was." And she broke into sobs once more.

"Well, mine was not." Kagome laughed weakly at the memory. "It was right before the final battle with Naraku. We had made camp for the night, Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Inuyasha and I. tensions were high and we were all afraid that we were going to die the next day. Once everyone else fell asleep, Inuyasha and I left the camp to talk and look at the stars. Because we were so scared of dying we found it easier to tell each other how we felt, yanno, and we did and I told him I loved him, and he told me, 'feh,'. Then I kissed him, my first real kiss. It was sloppy and awkward; we had never really been more than friends. Then we kissed more and things just got more awkward. I gave him my virginity and it was so _weird!_ I thought it was going to be the most natural thing in the world like yin and yang, but it totally wasn't. It was messy and weird and dirty and painful and ugh! But then when we were done, right before I fell sleep, I heard him whisper in my ear; 'I love you too.'" Kagome looked off into some unknown space dreamily then shook off the effect the memory had on her. "Then I woke up to some lowly demon attacking us and got blood and demon guts splattered all over my body. Then everyone in my group knew what happened and thought it was the most amusing thing in the WORLD." She cringed.

Rin found herself laughing a little too; that was pretty bad.

"Anyway what I'm saying is; it gets better. If you love each other you will have lots of time together."

"We can't be together Kagome, Sesshomaru was right demons cant love like humans can." This Kagome found beyond hilarious.

"Honey, Sesshomaru is a royal fool. He loves you. Its not that he, or they for that matter, can't love; in his case it's just that he doesn't understand love." Kagome sighed and tried to find the best way to state this. "He will accept what ever choice you make, it just might take him time."

"You have changed him a lot you know. I didn't know him well before he found you, Myoga and Inuyasha did know him a little and they said that he changed a lot. He would do anything for you." Kagome laughed again. "When you had the chicken pox he told me." Kagome mustered her best Sesshomaru impression. "'Miko, if you do not fix this child I will rip your useless human soul from your body and send it into hell.' Those are words of love if I've ever heard them!"

That; Rin couldn't help but to laugh at.

Rin took a deep breath and rubbed her face. She needed to face this situation now. She got out of the bath and dressed herself. She smiled at Kagome and have her a huge hug.

"I need to go talk to Sesshomaru." She shifted her weight and looked down at her feet for a moment. "There's this place that I need to go. Do you think you could come too? I have to ask Sesshomaru first to take me, but if he says ok will you go?"

Kagome smiled and brought the girl into another embrace. "Of course I'll go Rin. Let's go talk to Sesshomaru and hope he hasn't kill Inuyasha yet."

The two women left the bath house hand in hand and made their way to Sesshomaru's study.

Sesshomaru stepped into his study after the mornings 'incident'. He had a headache. He couldn't understand why the morning's transgressions had affected him so. He had planned on Rin mating and starting a family. Perhaps it was the fact that she mated with a demon that bothered him? Or the fact that the demon she chose to mate with was below himself?

The wolf was strong in his own right. He had heard of him, Kouga. He used to be the leader of the Eastern Tribe of wolf demons. Naraku destroyed most of his tribe and later, in his rain of destruction, he had destroyed most of the others also. A few years ago he had gotten word that the young wolf had united what was left of the tribes, this act had at the time, earned the wolf a little respect from Sesshomaru. That was why he tolerated their presence in his lands. Also they acted as a good first line of defense against any intrusions; whether they knew it or not.

It was obvious to Sesshomaru that the wolf sought power; he even admitted so this morning. That upset him; he had received offers from humans and demons alike to mate/marry Rin because of her 'status'. Sesshomaru had turned them away or killed them for their imputence. It mattered not to him who thought they would mate/marry Rin for some kind of phantom power; because in the end Sesshomaru was not planning on dying any time soon.

Rin… she was an adult now. It had been n interesting experience watching her grow up. He had never planned to keep her as long as he did, but humans grow so fast. One day she was a little girl, picking flowers and hiding from Jaken, and today well…

Sesshomaru shook his head. Why did it matter that she chose to accept the wolf as her mate? If she wanted to live in caves and have fleas, then so be it. But it did matter. All of the time and energy he had spent teaching the child to read and write, to manage affairs, to think logically, and to fight when needed, were going to be wasted.

'They would have been wasted on a human too.' His mind supplied.

The other thing that upset him about the whole situation was the fact that the wolf didn't even attempt to challenge him. What kind of dishonorable beast was he, if he would not make a challenge for the one he so dearly 'loved'?

Oh, and why had he never told Rin of the circumstances of her death? When he revived her she had no memory of having even died. The last thing she remembered was helping him in the woods. He had always figured her mind had suppressed the memories because they were too painful.

She had dreams and would wake up screaming when she was a child, he should have told her then about her death, but instead as a father would, he allowed her to sleep on his lap.

As they traveled she would often hear wolves howling at night and get scarred, again he did what any father would do for his pup, he comforted her rather than telling her the truth. When they were still searching for Naraku she had even seen Kouga, and he knew somewhere in her mind she had recognized him, but rather than aggravate her, or tell her the truth, he just removed her from the situation.

Sesshomaru's mind danced around from problem to problem very uncharacteristically. He had just set down to meditate and regain control of his mind when that damn half- breed burst into his study.

Taking a deep breath and willing himself calm he turned to his brother who sat across from him, arm folded; and was he smirking? "To what do I owe this honor brother, have you missed me so much since last evening?'

"So, Kouga took the kid as a mate? You must be MAD?" the half-half breed replied peering into Sesshomaru like if he peered hard enough he might be able to read his mind.

Sesshomaru sighed, "What do you know of the wolf?"

"That flea-bitten waste of skin used to have a '_thing_' for my mate. But…" Inuyasha paused, this was going to be hard to say, "But, he's not a bad guy. He's loyal if nothing else, and strong for… a wolf."

"Hn, so he has an affinity toward humans. He and father would get along."

Inuyasha chuckled, and then began the uncomfortable speech that lie ahead, while cursing that woman for putting him up to this.

"Yanno, I'm a father now…"

"Yes I've noticed. Tell me, brother, how is it you bed a miko and don't get purified? Maybe I should try it sometime, too bad she's a human." Sesshomaru smirked when he got the growl out of Inuyasha he had wanted. Pissing off his brother was always a good stress relief.

"Look asshole, I'm just trying to say here; the kid's grown, maybe its time for you to let go."

"The girl is and always has been free to make her own choices." Before he had a chance to elaborate, which he really didn't feel the need to; he heard his brother's miko and Rin approaching. He wasn't sure if this was an improvement or not.

"Enter" he replied to the light tap on the door. The screen slip open and Rin stepped in, never removing her eyes from the floor, followed by the miko who grabbed his brother and insisted they leave.

"Inuyasha, we will continue this discussion when your daughters are grown." Sesshomaru said to Inuyasha as he and his mate retreated.

Once they were gone he turned his attentions to Rin who was standing across the room fro him looking dejected. He could smell the salt from her tears and the sadness was pouring off of her in waves.

Rin looked up to meet Sesshomarus gaze, her lower lip trembled a little and she could feel the moisture beginning to accumulate behind her eyes. Before she would let the tears fall she made her way to Sesshomaru and laid down next to him placing her head on his lap.

It took a moment, a horrible moment for Rin, before Sesshomaru placed his hand on her head and another horrible moment of hesitation before he began running his fingers through her hair. Once h began she finally let out the breath she was holding.

This, to Sesshomaru and Rin was the most sacred of traditions. The demon lord was never a man of words and Rin knew that. Rin had always needed some sort of comfort or reassurance. This was their own special way of saying, with out words, I … love you, miss you, need you, want you, am sorry, forgive you, am scared, am lonely, and any other emotion that one person can look to another to convey. And this is how it always was, Rin would lay her head on his lap, and Sesshomaru would run his claws through her hair, the action comforting them both simultaneously.

After an immeasurable amount of time Rin built up the courage to speak; "Can you take me there, to where I died?"

He was shocked by her request and paused for a moment, "Why would you want to do such a thing?"

"Because I need to see that place. I think I remember, but I need to see it to be sure."

Sesshomaru thought for a moment, it made sense that she would want something more tangible than a fleeting memory. "As you wish."

Rin let out a sigh of relief. That was easier than she thought. "Thank you."

Outside the fortress, near the stream where they first met, Kouga met with Kagome and Inuyasha.


	13. Return to where I died

Disclaimer: same ol same ol I don't own Inuyasha

AN Hey guys sorry this took so long. The next Chapter im going to do tonight so it should be up by tomorrow … thank you so much for reading and reviewing I cant tell you how much I appreciate it. This is kind of a slow filler-y chapter but what ever.

Chapter 13: Where I died

They left the castle almost immediately and headed out toward the town where Rin died. The little party included, Rin, Sesshomaru, Ahuh, Inuyasha, and Kagome, the last two there at Rin's request and Sesshomaru's dismay; 'As if a month with the half-breed hadn't been enough!'. The day wore on in relative silence, with Kagome and Rin riding on Ahun, Sesshomaru in the lead and Inuyasha grumbling in the rear.

They had to break often because of Kagome's 'delicate condition'. That was what they called it anyway, Rin didn't think she acted very 'delicate' most of the time, but oh well. As the sun started to dip lower in the sky the party decided it was best to make camp, it would be another day before they reached their destination and they could all use the rest.

The party settled down in a little clearing, the women made a little fire as the men hunted. Awhile later when Inuyasha returned and Sesshomaru didn't Kagome's curiosity got the best of her, "Does Sesshomaru eat?"

Inuyasha shuddered and Rin giggled, adding to Kagome's confusion.

Rin chose to elaborate and speak on the demons behalf, "He eats meat raw, he doesn't like people to watch."

"RAW, is an understatement, more like ALIVE!" Inuyasha further elaborated with a shudder, "It's …disturbing."

Rin laughed earning her a questioning gaze from her companions; I mean really, what could be so funny about eating live animals?

"It's not disturbing! It's how he eats, he thinks us eating vegetation is disturbing."

Kagome joined in the laughter, it was hard to understand, but to Rin, who spent most of her life in the presence of a demon, of course something like eating an animal live wouldn't bother her at all.

Inuyasha on the other hand didn't get what was so funny at all, "Bent, your both fuckin' bent." He huffed.

Sesshomaru emerged from the woods to see the half-breed huffing and the women laughing like children. Well, at least the mood was lighter; he figured it must be emotionally taxing to return to the place where one died.

After the laughter ceased the companions sat by the fire eating their _cooked_ food and shared in light conversation. Rin couldn't help but feel nice like this, talking, sharing. For as long as she remembered it was just her and Sesshomaru, quiet, contemplative, they rarely spoke, showing emotion was a taboo. Then Kouga, he had been so open and loving, showing everything he thought on the outside. She missed him already she grudgingly realized.

Luckily Inuyasha broke her from her inner turmoil before she started crying or something silly like that. "Hey kidd-o, so we are going to your old village right? Where you died? How come you don't remember dying?"

Kagome shook her head in disbelief/disgust; I mean really how could you be so dense? Sesshomaru promised the idiot death with little more than a look. And Rin, well Rin began to wonder that herself, not for the first time.

"I don't know. I've always had these dreams…" she trailed off not really knowing where to go from there and giving Sesshomaru a glance.

Sesshomaru for his part shuttered a little internally at her glance. Rin had been about 7 when he brought her back to life. Naturally he never discussed her death with her or the circumstances surrounding it; why would he? The nightmares had plagued her from the beginning, finally after half a year of her waking in cold sweats and screaming he asked her what she was dreaming of and she told him being eaten alive by wolves. Well of course she would, that's exactly what had happened; but he couldn't find it in himself to tell her that after looking at her little face and her scarred brown eyes. Sp faced with this dilemma Sesshomaru did what anyone would do; he told her it's just a bad dream and sent her back to bed. At one point he had the 'privilege' of meeting the wolf, and so did Rin, she seemed to remember at that point, but it was quickly dismissed with a 'yes he was the wolf that destroyed your village and killed the inhabitants; it's a good thing you got away'. Lying is acceptable when children are concerned… right?

Now, years later, Rin had no idea that she had been killed by wolves. Or been killed period. That is, until Sesshomaru himself reminded her after catching her sleeping with said wolf. Sesshomaru immediately cut himself off from that train of thought. It was not productive and only made him angry, very angry.

Luckily Rin broke his train of thought before all surrounding foliage met his ire. "It's like there's a hole in my memory. I remember Finding Lord Sesshomaru in the forest, and then the next thing I remember is following him. Like that's all I've ever done."

"I think you have repressed the memory." Kagomes comment earned her a questioning gaze from all of the camps inhabitants. "When something bad happens to … humans…especially children, the human mind protects itself by hiding or repressing those memories." _Whew, education from the future is handy!_ "So that's proboly why Rin doesn't remember. But I have to say I don't know if I would want to rememeber dying."

"It's not that I want to remember the actual act of dying. I just need… proof I guess… something to look at to know that it's real. Not that I don't believe my lord, it's just that the hole bothers me. It's stupid I guess."

Kagome moved to the girl's side and gave her a big hug. "It's not stupid honey; we will get to the bottom of this and then maybe you and Kouga…"

Sesshomaru growled and quickly stood leaving the camp suddenly feeling the urge to kill foliage.

About 20 loud crashes later Rin decided it was time to go to bed when Sesshomaru was like this she knew better than to interrupt.

Morning came all to quickly for everyone. The best that could be said was at least it was a good day. So they broke up camp and set out for their destination once again.

No one was in a particularly talkative mood, and both Sesshomaru and Rin were grateful for the chance to retreat into their own minds.

They reached the village in the afternoon. The whole village was in disrepair. It was obvious that it had not been maintained. Kagome and Inuyasha remembered then when they had seen the village last, all those years ago, there had been no survivors. Apparently in the following years no one else chose to take up residence in the village.

Most of the huts no longer had roofs and had vines growing over what was left of the wood. On a path a little out of the way Rin noticed a small storage shed and walked over to it. She kicked some of the rubble that used to be a roof out of the way so she could step inside. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha made themselves distant while Kagome and Rin made their way into the little shed. Rin dug through some of the debris and rotted wood until she found what she was looking for. There was a little wooden doll in the far right corner of the room buried under the debris. The wood the doll was made of was moldy and rotting just like the rest of the wood in the floor, but the dolls features were still disernable. It had black hair painted in its head and a simple face. The clothes were filthy and so moldy that they still retained the shape of a piece of wood that had been laying over then. Rin shook the doll gently and freed it of all loose dirt and bugs.

"This was the only thing I had from when my family was killed. It was the only thing that was mine. The villagers gave me this shed to live in, in exchange I had to do chores and help the villagers." Rin spoke more to herself and the doll than to Kagome. Kagome came closer and laid a hand over Rin's for support.

Rin looked up at the older woman hugging the tiny doll close to her chest, tears were finally beginning to fall. "They were so mean to me Kagome, they let me stay here but if they needed to store grain or tools they would be in here too. They treated me like I was less than dirt. How could anyone treat a kid like that? There was a man who I used to gather eggs for because his chickens were nasty and scrated him too much, he gave me an egg a day to do it. And the chickens would scratch up my arms but he didn't care as long as he wasn't getting scratched." Rin's tears were falling freely now and her eyes were distant. Kagome wanted to hug the girl and go back in time to when she was little and help her, people in this time could be so cruel. "One day I had filled the basket with eggs and was crawling out of the chicken coop when one of them started crawling and pecking at my head. When he got to close to my eyes I got scarred and covered my face. I dropped the eggs and they all broke. The man was mad, and… and … he kicked me. He kicked me until I blacked out. He was even more mad because I didn't cry."

Rin inhaled sharply and straightened her self. She remembered the promise she made to herself back then; that these bad people would NOT make her cry. She pulled back the tears as best she could. Kagome was still looking at her a little shocked with pity in her eyes. Rin gave her a little fake smile and tucked the doll away in her obi and left the little shed.

Once outside she spotted Sesshomaru looking distant and bored as usual. Inuyasha was passed her on her way to Sesshomaru to help his wife out of the hut. Rin picked up the pace to get her lord; once she got there she threw her arms around his middle and buried her face into his armor. She was well aware that this display of affection was strictly taboo, but she needed to thank him; he saved her. If the wolves hadn't have killed her, living here would have.


	14. Dog Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha Rumiko Takahashi does. But I enjoy playing with them.

AN Ok so last week when I said id have this chap out the next day … what I really had meant was ... next week. Anyway thanks for the reviews. I love you all and thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy! Again I didn't really edit well. I am working on another story that I haven't started posting yet so … oh what ever excuses excuses .. im just lazy.

Chapter 14: Dog Fight

Once Rin felt Sesshomaru had been sufficiently hugged, meaning he pried her hands away from him because Inuyasha was laughing, Sesshomaru led the group down a halfway discernable trail away from the village. The trail was obviously once a road, but after years of not being used it was no more than a dirt trail a few feet wide.

Rin felt the pull of her memories coming back to her. She remembered the trail from her dreams, but this was a different feeling, she died here and it had been no dream. She remembered the fear as she ran from the howling of the wolves. She remembered thinking, in sheer desperation, that if she could make it to the white haired god she had seen in the forest that she would be safe. And she remembered failing to reach him. She fell and the wolves caught her and killed her.

It was real. All of the dreams were real. Rin shook her head in disbelief; she didn't really want them to be real. What did that mean? Did she have to hate Kouga now? Did she have to hate what he was? She wasn't sure if she could. Sesshomaru had killed humans, tons if the storied Jaken told her were true, and she didn't hate him; she would never hate him.

So Kagome said that Kouga came to her rescue on a few occasions, and that he saved some other humans in his time too. Does that redeem him the way Sesshomaru was redeemed in her eyes?

After a moment of searching she came to the conclusion that THAT was not what she should hate him for. That was in the past and he didn't kill her personally, nor did do anything out of the ordinary for a demon; and in the end that's what he was, a demon. No, what she should hate him for is telling her he loved her, fucking her, and then saying it was for her title and running away. That she would hate him for, as much as the idea that hating him made her sick, she had to. It was the sensible thing to do, right?

Everyone was quiet letting Rin reflect. They all figured she was reliving her death in her head, not contemplating her and Kouga's no-longer-existent relationship. The silence was broken by a low menacing growl from Sesshomaru.

Rin looked to him to see him stiffen and flex his hand readiying his deadly poison claws. Following the direction of his glare to the tree line she saw the tell-tale whirl wind that announced Kouga's presence.

Kouga had arrived at the village the day before them. Inuyasha and Kagome had told him where to go, and with his demon speed he beat them there by a day. He hid out of range for the taiyoukai's sense of smell and waited.

When he broke the tree line to see Rin he was relieved at first, to finally see his Rin, the last few days had been torture. But now, looking at her face, she was so scarred. Was she scarred of him?

"Rin?" he took a step closer to her only to be abruptly stopped by a fist to his jaw. 'Wow he's fast!', he thought as he shook his head and re-oriented himself.

"Ok, I deserved that, but that's the only one you're getting!" he spat at Sesshomaru.

"How fitting that you should chose to this place to repay your dept." Sesshomaru struck out with is whip, Kouga barely managing to side step it.

Rin had seen enough, she wanted, needed, to hear what he had to say. She stepped around Sesshomaru giving him an apologetic glance, he growled, he was not happy with her interrupting; she knew he wouldn't be, but she needed this. As angry as she was the mental images of Sesshomaru killing Kouga made her ill, and that must mean something for the feelings that she was so sure she had for him just the other night.

"Kouga, why are you here?"

He was nervous, constantly glancing between her and Sesshomaru who was bearing his fangs behind her. This was probably going to be the most important conversations of his life and he knew it.

"I had to see you; I had to tell you … to tell you … I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for Kouga?"

'She's so angry, so hurt.' His posture slumped and he hung his head a little. "My wolves, they killed you. I'm sorry. We don't normally kill humans. We were getting killed on our hunting grounds, things weren't so good. I saw you, getting hit by those humans. It wasn't right, those men beating on a kid; fuckin' cowards! So once I got what I needed form the village I let the wolves have their fill. I didn't… I'm sorry."

"How dare you! You apologize, and then shirk the responsibility! Whether the blood was on your fangs or not, it was under your order that she was killed; making excuses does not relieve you from your responsibility." Sesshomaru growled through his clenched jaw.

"Oh and your any better, I bet you've killed tons of humans, and didn't even eat them! Just killed them for fun." Kouga spat back.

"Enough!" Rin stepped closer to Kouga. Before she would reach him Sesshomaru pushed her to Kagome who was silently taking in the scene.

Sesshomaru swung at Kouga with his poison claws, which Kouga managed to evade, but not avoiding the kick that stopped his progress. Kouga leapt back out of punching range, but before he could right himself enough to send his own attack Sesshomaru was back in his face. Sessomaru punched again and Kouga evaded it again. Kouga managed to throw a punch of his own, but Sesshomaru avoided it effortlessly.

Rin watched it horror as the battle between the two demons waged on. Blow after blow was evaded, that she had to be thankful for, but she knew that Sesshomaru was holding back. Was he holding back for her?

"Kouga! I'm not mad about the whole, you killing me thing. I forgive you, it's in the past. If I hadn't died I never would have ended up with Lord Sesshomaru, and … and I wouldn't be who I a now." This made both Sesshomaru and Kouga pause for a moment to look at the girl who was now on her knees whipping away her tears.

They both made a move to go to her, but Kouga was stopped by an effective back hand, and Sesshomaru was stopped by a sweeping kick at his feet. Kouga leapt back again and Sesshomaru lunged starting the brawl all over again.

"This is getting nowhere." Rin looked over at Inuyasha hoping he would stop them, but he just looked happy as a clam watching the fray. She looked to Kagome who shook her head, she knew better than to interrupt this kind of a thing.

"STOP! NOW JUST STOP!!!!" Rin screamed and got to her feet. They were ignoring her.

"Kouga! Did you really sleep with me in hopes of gaining the western lands?! Because if you did you're going to have to do a whole lot better than you are right now!" Rin was angry to say the least.

Kouga halted mid swing at her words, allowing Sesshomaru to connect with his ribs sending him sprawling back into a tree. He moved out of the way to avoid a stomp that surely would have shattered his ribs.

"I didn't mean that shit Rin. Damn, did you think I did?! I said that because telling this asshole that I want you by my side because I love you isn't something that someone lie him would understand." Kouga continued to dodge Sesshomaru's attacks which were steadily becoming more intense. "All he understands is power! He is an aristocrat, he's not a leader, he's a ruler. I don't want his fuckin' lands. My pack uses them as hunting grounds but that's it, you can't own the land. And your right he is stronger than me! Bue even if he wasn't I can't kill him. Killing him would kill you!"

That little speech made Sesshomaru really mad. How dare that wolf assume to know him? He punched the wolf in a face again forcing him to the ground. He grabbed him by the throat, wrenching him off the ground and slamming his back against a tree. He let his claws pierce the flesh just enough that he could release his poison when he was ready.

Rin was still in shock while watching Sesshomaru manhandles Kouga. 'Maybe he does love me… he does.' She was snapped out of her thoughts when he was slammed into the tree.

Sesshomaru was growling at Kouga, fangs glittering in the sun light, hair whipping around by the force of his aura. "Do not assume to know this Sesshomaru you weak, worthless mongrel…"

"NO! SESSHOMARU NO! PLEASE!" Rin pushed him away from Kouga with all of her might.

Sesshomaru took a step back dropping the wolf into a heap on the ground. Kouga clutched at his crushed wind pipe struggling to breath. Sesshomaru turned from the wolf to address Rin.

Rin was standing with her head held high and her heart full of resolve. She would not let Sesshomaru hurt Kouga. She loved Kouga and he loved her, and Sesshomaru was not going to tell her she couldn't. It was too late, she already did. She felt her heart sink a little when his golden eyes turned on her heavily laden with anger. He had never really been mad at her before, but oh boy, he was mad now.

"Rin…" his tone was dark and threatening. Just one word but it was so laced with malice it would have made even the strongest man's knees shake.

"I can't let you hurt him. I'm sorry My Lord, but I can't. I love him… He is my-"

Sesshomaru abruptly cut her off. "Foolish, he is a demon and you are human do you really think that his people will accept you? Will you live in a cave? Have you thought about these things? Or did you just act upon your impulses? You will be aragned to marry one of your own kind."

"No I will not! You can't just auction me off like livestock. I will stay with Kouga."

"This Sesshomaru has already spoken on the matter, he is not worthy." His hair was shipping around him madly and his annoyance and anger was tangible.

Rin stood to her full height and gave Sesshomaru a glare that would rival his own, "and this Rin had made up her mind. It's already done."

Sesshomaru looked down at her then made a move to step past her to the wolf, she moved to cut him off. The stare down continued as they silently searched one another's souls through their eyes.

Inuyasha and Kagome watched on in awe at the silent showdown. Anyone else would be dead by now for looking at the great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru like that. But there wasn't an ounce of fear coming off of Rin; nothing but the strength of her resolve. "Wow," Inuyasha whispered to Kagome. "uhhuh" she whispered back.

Kouga watched from his spot behind Rin. He couldn't interrupt this; this was something Rin had to do. She was proving her loyalty to him and he had to let her. He just hoped that Sesshomaru wouldn't kill her for it.

Sesshomaru was the one to break the silence, eliciting a relieved sigh from the audience. "Is this where your loyalty lays girl?"

Rin gasped, he wasn't using her name. That meant A LOT. Sesshomaru only called those who he respected by their names, everyone else was called what they were: human, miko, half-breed, girl; all meant 'I don't respect you, you are beneath me.' 'Well at least he didn't use an adjective' she thought while laughing humorlessly in her head.

She looked at Kouga who was crouched behind her struggling to stand and still panting trying to get enough air into his lungs through his damaged throat. She looked at his face, the strong muscles of his jaw, his beautiful white fangs peeking out behind his lips, the blue eyes that she loved so much. Yes… "Yes."

"So be it."

Sesshomaru turned his back to her. He turned his back to the little girl who tried to save him, to the woman she grew to be. He turned his back and walked away.

Before he was out of hearing ranged he turned his head to the side, but not enough that he could see her. "You, human, are no longer my burden." And he left.

Rin looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She could feel the warmth of her tears streaming down her face, but she didn't feel like she was crying. She felt Kougas strong rough hands on her shoulders. She could hear Kagome's comforting words and Inuyasha's insults toward his brother. But all she could do was look at her trebling hands; she could see the pedestal that she had raised Sesshomaru onto all of these years crumbling in her tiny, trembling, human hands.

2 more chappies and an epilogue to go! did you think I would end it like that ?!?!!


	15. The Years Between

I don't own Inuyahsha Rumiko Takahashi and co do

Authors Note: ohh I hope this chapter isn't too boring. I knew what I wanted from it and I hope I got the point across.

Ginta: "Hey Katie … Where Ayame?"

Katie: "Well guys, here goes: The top 5 reasons Ayame is not in this fic or mentioned for that matter really.

5. Because she isn't in the manga therefore im not acknowledging her existence.

4. I killed her

3. she is married to you Ginta. I might have made a reference to that before I don't know.

2. I don't know

1. because that was a lame episode! I mean really who ever heard of a lunar rainbow. LAME!

Ginta: "Thank you, I hope im banging her!"

Chapter 15: The Years in Between

The first year was the hardest for Rin.

Right after the incident with Sesshomaru Kouga and Rin returned to Kouga's den. Rin cried for the first two days. He had called her a burden. Was that what he really thought of her? Was she noting more than a burden?

At first it was easy to believe that this was true. If she did it helped her be angry with him, and if she was angry she wouldn't miss him so much.

After the two days of reflecting and moping Kouga finally dragged her out to meet his, their, tribe. Rin was a little wary of the animal counterparts because of her history with them, but she got over it rather quickly when she realized they were nothing more than big puppies. She quickly came to enjoy their company.

The demons were another story. They were nice enough; at first it seemed that they were wary of her. Kouga had explained that she had to prove herself, that she was worthy of being an alpha female. But that was impossible Rin thought, she was human they were demons if she fought them they would win hands down. Kouga laughed at her, she didn't have to FIGHT them; all she had to do was show that she would be loyal. Naturally Rin, who was probably the most loyal person who ever lived, was quickly accepted.

Being marked as a member of the pack was an uncomfortable experience. There was a great feast; that was nice. The getting branded with a hot bit of metal was much less nice. But, at least Kouga made up for it later that evening.

After she was accepted in the tribe a few more of the men chose to take human mates. One, Hakkaku, had apparently been seeing his human mate for over three years, but was waiting for Kouga to make the first move. Due to the decimation of the tribes there were very few females left, and apparently Kagome had quite an impact on them too, so no thought was taken to bringing humans into the tribe, or having half-demon offspring.

Rin quickly and happily traded in her kimono for furs, and sandals for bare feet. She loved the feeling of being free, and she loved the feeling of having a family. Albeit a very large extended family, but they were still family.

But as happy as she was in her new life there was something missing, and that hole was oddly shaped like Sesshomaru. The first year she missed him the most, adjusting and falling into the routine of daily life with the wolf tribe left her thinking of him more than she would have liked. After that day in the forest she never heard of him again. Ahun would visit her, and for that she was grateful, but he was a part of her old life; of the life that didn't want a part of her new one.

Kouga saw her sadness and tried his best to fill that hole. He could smell the salt of her tears when the dragon would visit, or on the nights when the moon was a cresent. But for Kouga no amount of love or devotion seemed to fill that missing part of her life.

The first winter she was with his people she became ill. The illness lasted for about a week and them she was fine. During that week when the fever was at its worst and she was delusional because of it she called for him. When Kouga sat at her side with her hand in his she turned to him with eyes that were seeing what they wanted to see and she called him Sesshomaru.

When their son was born and she was in labor she called to him then too. Kouga, although frustrated, understood. He remembered feeling the emptiness that he assumed she was feeling when his father died, and again when his pack was killed. But the frustrating part was that Sesshomaru was no dead, just an ass.

Kouga and Inuyasha looked for him on a few occasions, but they never fond a thing. A few months after the day in the woods he put Inuyasha in control of patrolling his lands, and then just disappeared. Kouga wondered if he knew that Rin was the only one in the world who cared that he had disappeared.

Sesshomaru left the woods that day and returned to his home. His empty, quiet, still, dead home. It only took a few months before the silence became deafening.

One morning, while stopping at Rin's door, as he did often, he decided for the first time to check on the status of her garden. It has only been a few months, but already some of the plants that needed special care were dying. The ones that needed to be trimmed were over grown and smothering the ones that were too small to defend themselves from the smothering plants.

Later that same day Sesshomaru decided that he needed to take are of business somewhere else; like China, or Thailand; anywhere else. He left his lands in the care of an advisor, his home in Jaken's care, and his patrols in his brother's care, and he left.

He first found himself in China, seeing to affairs there. That didn't last long, there wasn't much to do there so he continued on. Over the next few years he found himself in Korea, Thailand, India, and eventually Tibet.

Everywhere he went his thoughts would stray to how much Rin would have liked this or that. It was in India that he broke down, all thanks to an elephant. They reminded a little of Ahun, the traitor. He knew Rin would have loved them, she always loved things exotic and different. At a temple where youkai were worshiped as gods, he was given a small ivory elephant. Normally he would have scoffed at such a useless gift, but he took it because he wanted Rin to see it.

It was then that he went to Tibet. To a place in the mountains where humans could not go, a place where Taiyoukai like himself go when they are old and done with a world, or young and seek guidance. This was the place where immortals die.

There he met an old dragon, he was older than time itself and claimed to have born with the world, Sesshomaru didn't know if this was the truth or if the dragon was just too old to remember how old he was. The old dragon had no name, or maybe it was that he couldn't remember that either, but he chose to give Sesshomaru the guidance that he sought.

They spent many evenings talking on the mountain top talking about battles, power, and gain. After what may have been months, or years, because flowed differently in this pace, the dragon decided it was time for Sesshomaru to receive the wisdom that he really came for.

That night the dragon gave Sesshomaru a tea made from a flower that grew there in the mountains, the flower was meant to strip away all inhibitions and elicit the truth that lays deep in the soul.

"Sesshomaru, it is time to speak of things that are real. Why did you really come here?" The dragon's voice was loud and deep and demanded respect and the truth even when he spoke in the softest tone.

"There was a girl." Sesshomaru said before he could stop himself, it must had ben the flowers.

"Ah, I see. And you loved her?"

"This Sesshomaru is not so weak as to…" he tried to lie to himself like he always did when it came to Rin, but because of the drug it was impossible. "Yes." And the admission felt surprisingly good.

"But… Not as a man loves a woman, not in the flesh." He added.

"Then how?"

"At first she was a child, and she followed me around with unyielding devotion. She looked at me like I was her personal god, and I loved her for it, I loved the fact that she needed me. Then she grew and she understood me as no other could and I loved her for it, I loved her companionship." 'Damn this flower!' he added mentally.

"I see, and the girl, she is dead?"

"No, she gave her love, and devotion, and companionship to another."

"Sesshomaru, how old are you?"

"624." Sesshomaru was surprised, he didn't know that he knew that, he would have to remember so he could tell Rin; the last time she asked he couldn't remember.

"And why haven't you had children?" the dragon asked in a tone daring him to try and lie.

"Because I am not ready." Sesshomaru blinked, 'that's true, I am not.'

"You are but a pup yourself. You have many years ahead of you. Yet, you took on this girl and regarded her as your own, but you were not ready. That's the way of parents though, you are not always ready when it happens." The dragon paused and was lost deep in thought. "She is human is she not?" he spoke after sometime.

"Yes."

"Ah, and therein lies your problem. She has grown and left you in what to you seems like a day, but to her as been a lifetime. She will grow old and die in what will be a blink of an eye to one such as you."

"She has taken a youkai as a mate." Sesshomaru said solemnly.

"Then you should be happy, she will live a long time!"

"He is not taiyoukai, he will live another 100 years at the most."

"I see, this is most unfortunate, but it was the way of things. And you are still young, my son, you will have children, and if not you will have her children." Sesshomaru shook his head and looked down at his feet, the dragon was right. "You have been in this place too long Sesshomaru, you are not ready to come here yet, you are too young. It is time for you to go. Go to this girl and see her life out. Learn that there are so many more ways that you can love her even if she loves another as well."

Sesshomaru looked at the old dragon, nodded, and began his descent; all the while clutching the ivory elephant in his hand.


	16. Sesshomaru

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi not I

Sorry this took so long guy! My stupid lap top broke … POS!

Chapter 16: Sesshomaru

Sesshomaru crested the hill over looking his brother's village. He came in search of the half breed in order to learn of the status of his lands. He had been gone far too long, it had been about 9 years, he lost track of time in that place where there was no time, and now he had to rejoin the world.

He looked down upon the village, there was no sign of his brother, but he could see his brother's children playing in the area around his hut. All the little quarter demon children with various combinations of black and white hair and ears frolicked merrily with a few human children and a half-fox demon.

But it was a little boy, with a bare chest and fur around his waist, about 7 or 8 years old who held his attention. The boy was tall for his age and looked to be strong. He had black hair, not very long yet, so it spiked wildly atop his head. But it was his ears and tail that told his heritage. His ears were similar to those of the other children, but longer and had a more defined point to them, like a wolf.

The pack of wolves lazing about in the summer sun did not escape his notice either. The boy was chasing a young wolf away from the village into the woods, away from the safety of his friends and pack. Sesshomaru followed.

The boy and the wolf chased one another howling and nipping at one another's tails. 'Totally oblivious to their surroundings.' Sesshomaru thought; this a good time to test the boy. He stepped a little further out of the shadows and flared his aura slightly to make his presence known.

The boy and the wolf stopped and growled, fangs bared, ready to attack. Sesshomaru watched as the boy scented the air and his ears swiveled atop his head. After apparently deciding that what ever was there was no threat, he relaxed and put a hand on the wolves head to relax him too.

The boy apparently was a fairly good hunter because he pinpointed Sesshomaru's location with ease. And in a manner very characteristic of his father, the boy strutted right up to Sesshomaru, as if without a fear in the world.

"Hey, Hey you! You're a dog demon, right?" the boy spoke with so much pride, as if Sesshomaru could not have killed him with one hand.

Sesshomaru only nodded his reply.

The boy sniffed him some more and took a tentative step back as if understood the dog demons threatening thoughts.

'Smart boy' Sesshomaru thought to himself.

"Imma wolf." The boy puffed his chest out and straightened his back as he spoke.

"So you are."

"My Ma was raised by a dog demon."

"Was she?" Sesshomaru sat down on a log so that he was level with the boy.

"Yah! And he is the strongest demon ever, 'sept my Pa."

Well this caught Sesshomaru's interest. It seems Rin has been telling the boy stories. "I see, and what has she told you of this strong dog demon."

"Uh, she tells me about all of his battles, and that he is bigger than a tree and fierce and strong…" The boy stopped abruptly. Sesshomaru sensed the same thing he did.

There were the footfalls of wolves pounding through the trees searching, and with them was Rin. Sesshomaru lead the boy to meet her half way in the clearing on the hill where he had first observed the village.

The wolves came into sight first growling, hackles raised at the sight of the boy with the strange demon. Rin was falling behind. Sessomaru wondered what was taking her so long, she was usually really fast.

"SESSHOMARU!!!" he heard her yell. He turned to the direction she was coming from and started to reply, when the boy cut him off.

"IM HERE MA!"

Sesshomaru's heart skipped a beat as he turned to look at the boy.

Simultaneously Rin's skipped a beat as she came to the top of the hill and saw Sesshomaru.

Rin held her hand out to still the wolves, they fell silent but were obviously restless. As soon as Rin caught her breath she bowed her head and addressed the demon who had been missing for so long.

"Lord Sesshomaru." He hadn't changed a bit. He was still wearing the same clothes and armor as if absolutely no time had passes.

"Rin." He inclined his head slightly.

Sesshomaru watched her catch her breath and gave her a quick look over. She was pregnant, towards the end if the size of her belly was any indication. She was barefoot, 'as usual' the mentally smirked and wearing fur around her chest and waist leaving her distended belly uncovered. Her hair had grown longer also. She looked … comfortable. More comfortable than she had ever looked in a silk kimono.

It was the most awkward silence of either of their lives, and it seemed to last forever. Even little Sesshomaru felt the tension in the air.

It was little Sesshomaru who finally broke the silence; "Hey, wait! I get it; your name is Sesshomaru too! Are you my Ma's dog demon?"

Sesshomaru chuckeld mentally. 'Definitely the wolf's son.'

"Sesshomaru! Go play NOW!" Rin said through her teeth.

Once the boy was off again playing with the wolf Sesshomaru helped Rin to sit after seeing her struggle a bit. Then he took a seat next to her in the grass. The wolves fanned out around them, able to keep an eye on the strange dog and the surrounding forest.

"Inyasha isn't here. He, Kouga and some of the pack went to settle some border problems." Sesshomaru immidately started to stand, but was stilled by a hand on his arm. "It's ok they are on their way back they will be back by tomorrow."

Sesshomaru was a little confused. "How do you know this to be true?"

Rin smiled and pointed to the wolves.

There was another few moments of awkward silence.

"Have you been well Rin?"

"Yes, I have. You've met Sesshomaru, my son." Rin paused for a moment looking for the right words. "I am very happy, my lord. Very happy."

"Ah, yes, how did you manage to convince the wolf to name your first born after me?" a ghost of a smile crossed his face. He felt a twinge of something deep inside. He was happy that Rin felt to honor him by giving her first born his name.

Rin giggled clutching her belly, "The deal was if we call him Sesshomaru, Kouga gets to name all of our other children."

Now it was Sesshomaru's turn to laugh, Rin turned to look at him and take in his face as he expressed the rare sentiment.

"I am … surprised, I thought you would have been angry with me-"

"I was never angry with you, hurt, but not angry." Rin cut him off. _I know you were only afraid; afraid to be alone again. _

It was then that Rin laid her head on his lap, in that language that was all their own saying: _I forgive you._

Sparing no time, his hand found her hair, saying: _thank you._

They stayed that way for awhile, bathing in the sun and sharing one another's company. They watched little Sesshomaru running around and wrestling with the wolf. Rin occasionally laughed at one of their antics and Sesshomaru smiled slightly at the sight.

Little Sesshomaru was running and tripped over seemingly nothing. "The boy lacks grace."

Rin laughed, "I suppose that is true, his father is not one for fighting gracefully, rather brute force. I suppose he will need sword training sometime."

"I see." He would do it. Naturally he was the only choice; he was the best swordsman around.

"So, Sesshomaru, if you don't mind me asking, where have you been?"

"Traveling" He stated plainly. That reminded him; he pulled the little ivory elephant out of his shirt and handed it to Rin.

"What is it?" she asked turning it over in her hand.

"It's an elephant."

"Is it some kind of demon?"

"No, simply a beast. They are large, larger than Ah-Un, but gentle. You would have liked them. The people in the area where they are from believe them to be a good omen to women, granting them strength and what not." He shrugged at the last bit.

The little elephant was the greatest thing Rin had ever seen. She inspected it in her hands for some time, and then satisfied that she had memorized it, she tucked it away.

"Rin, my garden seems to be dying…" he stated after a few moments of silence.

"Oh I bet it is! Who has been caring for it in your absence?" the genuine concern was apparent in her voice.

"Jaken."

"Aww I see, well I will just have to make it a point to visit often… to take care of the garden." Rin giggled.

"Hn" Was Sesshomaru's only response. Internally he smiled.

Rin stopped laughing suddenly and seemed to wince at some phantom pain. Sesshomaru turned to her reflexively and looked for some kind of injury. He found nothing but her hand was resting on her abdomen. He raised an eyebrow questioning her behavior.

"Here." She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "You can feel her moving."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened at the feeling of the unborn child moving under her skin. "Her?"

"Yah It's a girl."

"You sound so certain." His hand remained on her belly.

"Yah, I just know. I knew Sesshomaru was going to be a boy, this is a girl I'm sure of it!"

"MOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!! I'm hungry!" Little Sesshomaru jumped around restlessly from one leg to the other on front of his mother and the dog demon.

"Oh no! That's what I came out here for! I totally forgot!" she began her struggle to stand up. Sesshomaru watched her for a moment and listened to her grumbling about giant wolf cubs and pregnancy making your brain soft, before helping her to stand.

"Lord Sesshomaru, would you like to… no no I know you wont you don't like being around humans… but would you come to dinner? Kagome is a great cook!" Rin figited with the fur around her waist, watching a very interesting spot in the grass.

'She used to do that when she was a mere child too.' "Yes, I would like that."

And together they walked to the village side by side with the setting sun at their backs.

The End


	17. epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Thank you guys all so much for reading and reviewing. I hope this is a good enough ending for all of you! But thank you once again!

Epilogue

"No Kouga NO! we are not going to name this baby Kouga. End of discussion!"

"That wasn't our deal RIN. The deal was: you chose the first baby's name I chose the rest."

Sesshomaru watched the pair fighting from his seat. The little girl next to him just rolled her eyes and began to make a move for his hair; braiding his hair was her favorite thing in the world. It was a challenge, first you had to get him to let you do it, and as they say 'the fun is in the chase.'

Sesshomaru quick as ever moved his head to the side so she would stumble and fall. The little girl had far too much energy for one person. Everything about the wolf-hanyou child screamed Rin. They shared the same love for flowers, and obsession with torturing a certain green toad.

Sesshomaru caught her off guard as she made another scramble for his hair, "Jaken smells bad and is ugly." He stated in a bored manner.

"OHHHHH" The little girl squealed and ran off in search of flowers for Jaken to remedy the situation.

Sesshomaru let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention to the now 12 year old boy standing in the doorway also listening to his parents engage in the seemingly age old battle over the name of their third child. He shook his head and cleared his throat letting his presence be known to the rooms occupants.

"Oh Sesshy, There you are we were just looking for you! Your father and I are heading out." Sesshomaru had begun training the younger Sesshomaru so the boy would stay with him for days at a time to complete his training. Naturally, his younger sister would follow where ever he went, so she would stay also.

"Mommmm, I hate it when you call me that!" the boy whined.

"Call you what Sesshy?"

"Rin, you will cease using that ridiculous nickname immediately. If you didn't want the boy to have a long name you should not have given him one." Sesshomaru interjected. He also hated that nickname.

"Well, I have to call him something or how will I tell the two of you apart!" Run stomped her foot to accentuate her annoyance.

"Telling us apart should be obvious. I am a dog demon, he is a wolf hanyou. I am an adult he is a child. I am the Lord of the Western Lands, he is not. I would think it would be simple to differentiate between the two of us."

Rins eyes narrowed dangerously as she punched the laughing wolf demon beside her.

"Wha- Why did you hit ME?"

"Because this is exactly why we are NOT naming this baby Kouga."

"I only want to name it Kouga if it's a boy."

"YOU NAMED OUR DAUGHTER KOUGA!"

"And?" A smug smiled appeared on his face.

"And? We cant name 2 kids the same thing, idiot. How will we tell them apart?"

"Ones a girl and one is a boy." Sesshomaru interjected. Rin's ire was immediately directed toward him, wolf forgotten. He reminded himself for the 30th time today that he was never going to have children if all pregnant women acted the way Rin did.

There in the doorway the young Sesshomaru stood waiting with his halberd draped across his shoulders at the base of his neck. 'That's right the boy is waiting for me. Every good warrior has an escape plan.' He quickly stood and joined the boy, before Rin had a chance to say anything else the pair were gone.

"We are not naming him Kouga."

"Fine we will call him Jaken then."

Rin sighed and gave up.

Then end end.


End file.
